Upon A Painted Ocean
by Daisy Sparrow
Summary: (COMPLETED) A mysterious plague hit Port Royal, Will & Elizabeth go with Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague & infected with a new disease that feeds on love, things start to get complicated. SLASH
1. prologue&introduce the 3 main characters

Upon a Painted Ocean - Prologue  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Rating: PG so far  
  
Pairing: Will/Elizabeth, Jack/Will  
  
Summary: Port Royal is infected with a strange disease. Will and Elizabeth enlisted the help of the Black Pearl to find the stolen medicine. On the way, they encounter an old nemesis, a crazy priest, a mermaid, and a demon who is after Jack's soul.  
  
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean isn't mine, I ain't making no money off of this, so don't sue. But Zeke is mine, touch him and die. Credit of the title goes to P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss fic. Special thanks to Darkdancer and Madoushi Clef for the betaing.  
  
Warning: This is my first fanfiction...ever and English isn't my first language. My writing experience has been limited to lab reports and technical essays, so please go easy on me. I also write VERY slow.  
  
This chapter is just used to introduce the three main characters, Jack, Will, Zeke (who is he? You'll find out.) The scene took place on a dock, when the guys were returning to the Pearl from a bar.  
  
" " speech // // thoughts *** **** Memory/Flashback  
  
Please R&R ^_^  
  
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Zeke had just realized that you should never grope Will Turner, especially not in front of one Captain Jack Sparrow. He took a step away as the dumbass's face hit where his left foot had been a moment ago. A rather notable bump on the back of the idiot's head. Captain Sparrow had excellent aim, he noted dryly, even in pitch black and drunk out of his mind.  
  
Will blinked, "Is he dead?"  
  
"Naayyy...", Jack yawned.  
  
Zeke had to agree, scumbags like that were surprising resilient, like cockroaches.  
  
Jack swaggered towards them, his arms swing wildly. Zeke narrowly missed being hit in the face by the bottle of rum still clutched in the Captain's hand. Will steped up quickly to steady Jack.  
  
Working one hand loose, Jack grabbed Zeke's collar and pulled the boy close. He leaned back a little, he was still a bit weary of the captain's "get up-close and personal tactics" when he's trying to get his point across. That, and his breath reeked of rum; Zeke never understood the human fascination with consuming poison. As if their lives aren't short enough, he sneered. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Will wrinkle his nose and sighed softly. Will seemed to be doing that a lot.  
  
"Noooow...Mr.-Black", the captain sounded sober, "didn't I ass...igned ya wit' th im...important mmmiision...of guaarding the lad'ss vertuue?"  
  
Nope. Drunk, Zeke nodded slowly. He probably won't be sober for days, if he ever is.  
  
"I--I don't need guarding!" Will yelled, his face flushed.  
  
"Momentary slip, Sir," he put on his most innocent face. It didn't work.  
  
The Captain ignored Will and pulled him closer.  
  
//It's like he's sniffing me//, Zeke thought, //how...disturbing.//  
  
Jack's eyebrows drew together as if he was thinking very hard.  
  
"It's late," Will pulled Jack out of Zeke's face, "Let's just get back to the Pearl."  
  
Jack turned his head and gave Will a slight lift of his lips. Zeke relaxed.  
  
Will flashed him an apologetic smile before pulling the staggering captain back towards their ship. He stood still for a moment, head cocked a little to the side.  
  
Jack Sparrow smirks at everyone, but only smiles at Will Turner.  
  
Will Turner makes Jack Sparrow happy, Zeke chewed his lips thoughtfully. //This could make my job hard.// He looked down at the unconcious man lying on the dock. He gave him a sharp kick on the side. The poor sucker rolled into the water with a dull splash.  
  
//I hope he drowns//, Zeke thought as he slowly walked back to the Black Pearl.  
  
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Me: All right, I've fixed some spelling and grammar mistakes, this should make it easier to read now :) , all thanks to the wonderful Madoushi Clef. Thank you so much!!!! 


	2. chapter 1

Upon a Painted Ocean - Part 1  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: I don't know...PG so far I guess  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hit Port Royal, Will&Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague & infected with a new disease that feeds on love, things start to get complicated. slash J/W  
  
Disclaim:   
  
Pirate of the Caribbean isn't mine, I ain't making no money off of this, so don't sue. But Zeke is mine, touch him and die. Credit of the title goes to P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss fic. Special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning:  
  
I guess this story is AU, should happen about a year or two after POTC. Will and Elizabeth are engaged but not yet married. This chapter is divided into three sections, each sections focused on Jack, Zeke and Will. And, NO, Zeke is NOT going to be paired up with any of the characters. Jack/Will 4 EVER!!!!!!!  
  
Same warning as before, this is my first fanfiction...ever and English isn't my first language. My writing experience has been limited to lab reports and technical essay, so please go easy on me. I don't know shit about ships, I am making most of those stuff up, but corrections are welcome. I also write VERY slow, usually have trouble transfer something in my head into words. This is an experiment, if I receive positive feedback, I'll continue. Comments are welcome, and I really need help with a title.   
  
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"Thi' is where we are going." A small dagger sticked out of the map.   
  
Elizabeth raised an elegant eyebrow, "why?"   
  
"According to me sources, thi' is where the shipment is going", Jack smirked.   
  
"In the middle of nowhere?"  
  
"Just casu' ya can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there."   
  
"Now we ar' gonna make stops at here and here, pick up mor supplies. Anamarie?" Anamarie nodded once. "Gibbs and the whelp...", Will puffed his cheeks indignantly at that, "..wil find us mor swords an' cannons." She still doesn't look convinced.  
  
"No use prissing about it, lassie. Th' sooner we got the things we need, the sooner we make 't to tha' shipment. Then ya an' the whelp can go back to yar little house and live happily ever after, savvy?"  
  
She nodded slowly. "We will make it in time", Will said, interwinded their fingers together.  
  
The door cracked up a little. "Your breakfast are ready, sirs, ma'ams." Zeke came in, balancing two large silver trays.   
  
Jack pulled out the dagger and rolled up the map. Zeke put down the two trays, there are tea, fruits, cheese, and some fresh out of oven bread rolls. He then untied the jag of rum at his belt and put it in front of the captain. Jack gave him a toothy grin. The lad is a fast learner. Then he pursed his lip together thoughtfully for a moment, but there IS something ... odd .... about the him. He looks young, only there's something in his eyes, something .... almost .... timeless. Like good .... or evil. And the way he moves....  
  
But, who the hell cared. The lad was good with a knife and a fantastic cook. Jack happily bit down into a bread roll, and with a little wave he dismissed the lad. Zeke left as silently as he came in.   
  
Jack's attention swayed, as always, back to Will and Elizabeth. Little Willy has matured a great deal since the last time he's seen him, and Elizabeth was as stunning as she was strong willed. Jack took another mouthful of rum, and peaked at Will through the top of the glass rim. Long, graceful fingers, callous due to years of hard labor, was carefully pealing the skin off a pear. A flick of wrist, one cut, clean. Brown eyes stared adoringly at equally dark ones, as he pushed half a pear onto her plate. Black lashes, cured up at the end and spreaded out like fans, framing smiling eyes, she murmured a thanks.   
  
//The' batter not be feed'ng each other, is too early in th' morn'g for this.// Jack can feel a headache coming. //me head hurrrtttt, must drink mor rum.//   
  
~~*~~  
  
Gibbs and Anamarie finished up first, then excused themselves. Elizabeth followed shortly, said something about fresh air.   
  
//It's just you and me now, whelp.//   
  
"Soooo, ya finally caught yar bonnie lass, ay?"   
  
"Wha?!" Will jumped a little and then shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "We...we're just engaged."   
  
Jack raised an eyebrow, and did a pretty good intimidation of Elizabeth. Will smiled shyly, "We were planning the wedding and almost set a date....but then this whole mess started. Half the town's .... and....then the governor ..... the navy couldn't do a thing. We have to help everyone first." His voice rose steadily towards the end.   
  
//Stil' as noble as ever, poor kid's not th' kinda to live long.//   
  
"yeahhh, we'll help ya as long as ya kept yar words about the payment."   
  
Not to mention Jack really liked Port Royal, two of his favorite persons lived there. Vann would pay for messing with his town.   
  
Will reached over the table and grabbed his hands, "We will. And thank you so much ..... without you....I....I wouldn't know what to do".   
  
His head dipped, a few strings of silky hair fell from their restraint and softly caressing his forehead. Jack gently squeezed Will's hands, and tried to suppress the shiver when those hands squeezed back.   
  
There was a warm feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, like when he swallowed a particular strong rum. Only it didn't burn, but slowly, almost like sneaky finger tips, caressing him from the inside. He couldn't speak.   
  
//I am ill.//  
  
He felt warm. He always felt warm when Will was around, warm and intoxicated.   
  
~~~*~~~  
  
It seemed like such a good idea at the time.   
  
Jack Sparrow, pirate extraordinate, supposedly a man so evil that hell itself spat him out. Zeke could only wish that was the case. He's....a good man ... more or less, was Zeke's observation since the six months he's been on the Black Pearl. He has all of the traits of a good pirate. Ruthless, yes. Cruel, sometimes. A really bad womanizer, definitely. He has been raiding ships, burning towns, stealing treasures, all with style too...in a grizzled hack kind of way.   
  
But there was also an almost child-like innocent about Jack Sparrow, it was as if the world around him was like a glass ball, beautiful and elusive It was something pretty to look at, to touch, to play with, but always handle with a certain amount of care, and always so very _very_ careful not to drop it.   
  
"I don't like pain very much", Jack once told him. Zeke shivered, remembering the dark pools of obsidian stared at him, hard and soft at the same time.   
  
//It really did seem like a good idea.//   
  
Jack Sparrow, despite all of his wrong doings and extremely smelly habits, hadn't earned himself a spot on Satan's little checklist. How did he manage THAT was beyond Zeke. It was not as if any of Zeke's relatives hasn't tried to tempt him. Oh, how he's been tempted. But still neither heaven nor hell has a claim on him....not yet that is. Zeke aimed to change that.   
  
The idea was simple. Drive Jack Sparrow crazy.   
  
It's Zeke's firm belief that anything could be broken, all you have to do was apply the right amount of pressure at the right place. Life on the high sea could be stressful. With the proper intervention, soon or later Jack was bounded to snap, then he was either going to put a pistol to his head or throw himself overboard. Suicide is a mortal sin after all. If Zeke's lucky, he might even be able to slip in a contract.   
  
But the problem was, Jack Sparrow was crazy to begin with. And no matter how he's been pressed down, he just bounced right back.   
  
It was really very annoying. //My predecessors' bad karma's been catching up//, Zeke absent mindly played with the rope in his hand. He was supposed to be securing the small boat to the side of Pearl. He tried not to look down, grew up around mountains of fire hadn't brought up the necessity of learning to swim. As a safe precaution, he usually avoided large body of water.   
  
Demons liked pain, just not their own.   
  
"Ya ain't slacking off, are ya lad?" A rather meaty hand slapped him heavily on the back of his head. Zeke grabbed the nearest fence, knuckles' white.   
  
"No sir, Mr. Gibbs, just checking how strong the ropes are." //Oh, lame.// Zeke has been told, on more than enough occasions, that he made a terrible demon.   
  
"You trys too hard", his cousin Ursella would often say to him. Then she would tell him to change his hair, or his face, or some other part(s) of his body in a, let's admit it, rather futile attempt to make him look more sinister. He even tried on those twisty little horns once while she laughed her ass off. "They look like croissants", flashing those oh-so-sharp teeth, she'd pet him on the head, "face it, love, you can't rush those thing, you've gotta to give it a couple more millennia." Zeke growled, which only made her laugh harder.  
  
"Are you all right? You look a little dizzy." A soft yet strong voice flowed on the top of his head.   
  
He snapped back to reality, "Yes, ma'am. Just the sun, ma'am. Still got'ng used to it." //Nice shirt, I can see the crack between her breasts from here.//   
  
"Oh, yes, you ought to be careful with it. Wouldn't want to turn into another Jack Sparrow." Elizabeth giggled.   
  
He gave her a slight bow of his head as she walked away to join Mr. Gibbs. "How long is it to the next port?" she inquired.   
  
Mr. Gibbs laughed good naturally, "We've just left one, are you getting sea sick already?"   
  
"I am just concerned....this....informat Jack mentioned, doesn't sound very reliable."   
  
"He's a pirate, of course he ain't reliable. But the captain knows what he's doing." Mr. Gibbs looked like he's trying very hard to believe that.   
  
Zeke mentally rolled his eyes .... but he didn't mind. Trouble usually means fighting, which inevitably leads to bloodshed and pain. Only thing was, the pirates on this ship are surprising hard to kill.  
  
"Doesn't he always." Will laughed, walked up to them with a jacket in his arm.   
  
"Whyyy, mate, tha sounds almos like a insult" the captain followed closely behind.   
  
"Noooo, of course not, we all know to bow down to the great wisdom of captain Jack Sparrow", Will said humbly and grinned. "Aye, you should", the captain took off his hat, and made a theatrical swipe with it, "Thank you, thank you". Elizabeth started giggling again.   
  
Will pulled Elizabeth gently towards him, and put the jacket onto her shoulder like a cap, "it's still a bit chilling this morning." He pecked lightly on her nose.   
  
The couple then proceed to make lovy-dovy eyes at each other. //How revolting//, Zeke rubbed the already forming bump at the back of his head, //that bloody hurts, note to self, feed Mr.Gibbs to the sharks at the first possible opportunity....discretely.//   
  
The captain made a couple of dry laughs as if he's swallowed sandpaper, then swaggered away looking like someone just stuffed a whole bunch of sour grapes down his throat.   
  
//Curious, how very curious indeed//, Zeke turned his face away. After six months of fruitless pursuits, he really was about to give up, until Will Turner came aboard.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Will stood alone on the tail end of the ship. He was in a relatively high spirit this morning.   
  
They've finally decided on the destinations of their voyage. Commodore Norrington hasn't shown his ugly face in over a week, maybe the man had finally got a clue that Elizabeth didn't WANT to be rescued from the evil clutch of the pirates. Things were finally beginning to look up.   
  
//We are going to make it in time//, Will thought, //please just hold on, everyone.//   
  
Elizabeth had gone down to the cabin earlier. She wanted to help Anamarie put up the list of all the things they would need. //She really just wanted something to do to take her mind off thing,// Will thought, //couldn't blame her though, if it were Elizabeth....//   
  
Will reached inside his shirt and pulled out a silver chain, at the end dangled a ring. It was a simple silver band with a small round ruby in the middle, some strange scribbling surrounded the ruby in a circular fashion, a gift from Elizabeth.   
  
"It has been in my family for generations", he remembered the feeling of her hands, on his eyebrows, sliding over his eyes and cheeks and finally rested on the corner of his mouth, "silvers are suppose to repel evil". He had breached the small distance and kissed her. Such soft rose petal lips, they tasted like the honeyed chrysanthemum tea she loved. "What about the ruby?" he has asked, arms cycled around her waist, nose nuzzled in her curly hair. "I've heard....it used to be part of a bigger piece. It....Will, stop that *giggles*.....it contains incredible magic powers."   
  
It was a promise. And as a promise in return, he had given her a ring also. Gold, but with sparkly blue sapphires surrounded it. He had made the ring himself, using the souvenirs he had taken along after their last adventure with Captain Jack Sparrow.   
  
//It is in my blood after all//, he chuckled. He had enclosed her small hands in his and slide the ring onto her middle finger. Elizabeth probably knew, Will wouldn't put it past her. She had shaken her head slightly then, but didn't appeared to be upset.  
  
Will stared dreamily into the water. He loved Elizabeth's hands, soft, warm, gentle, small wrist..... so fragile, yet holds such strength....as they wrapped around his own..... roughened from years of swords handling....and.....   
  
//Wait a minute//, he eyes widen, //Elizabeth doesn't.... ...Oh, Oh,// he swallowed, //well, Jack's hands were nice, too.//   
  
He turned and rested his elbows on the wooden bars, and watched the captain quietly. Jack was currently explaining how to catch fish with ropes and a basket, with exaggerating hand gestures to a rather ashen faced Ezekiel Black. The upper half of his body was dangling just outside of the rail, he was swinging back and forth as the ship broke through another wave, with only the rope twisted in his right fist. Jack was shouting happily at the cook and urging the young man to do the same,   
  
"I've gotta to show ya how to do it, see!!!"   
  
Zeke looked like he was going to throw up. Personally, Will didn't think the cook could swim.   
  
Will smiled softly as Mr. Gibbs finally came to Zeke's rescue, and pulled him aside to do something or another. Jack look disappointed as his audience were taken away. Then he spotted Will, and glide his way towards him, hips swang left and right.   
  
"Enjoy the trip so far?"  
  
"Mmm...." the wind felt nice on his face.  
  
"If th' weather kept up, we may make it ahead of schedule." Jack rested one hand on his elbow, and they looked out at the sea in silence.   
  
Despite all the chaos that had occurred and would no doubt increase tenfold in the near future, Will felt relaxed..... and strangely enough....safe. //It's so good to be out on the sea again//, he took a deep breath of salty air. The Black Pearl swings gently with the ocean tides, as if they were lovers, locked in the embrace of an endless waltz.  
  
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Zeke: *sea sick*  
  
Me: Spineless wimp.  
  
Zeke: *glare* It's YOUR fault.   
  
Me: *ignore him* This part is longer than I thought, it's almost six pages. Well, wonder will never cease.  
  
Zeke: *groan something under his breath*  
  
Me: I HEARD that. Anyway, please R&R. Flames will be laughed at, Any other comments are much appreciated. Flattery and sugar will both keep me going. 


	3. chapter 2

Upon a Painted Ocean - Part 2  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: I don't know...PG so far I guess  
  
Summary: errr....a first time fic....with some OC, some angst, some sap, some h/c, and a lot of supernatural. The original Part 2 was getting a little too long, so I chopped it in three smaller parts.  
  
Disclaim: Pirate of the Caribbean isn't mine, I ain't making no money off of this, so don't sue. But Zeke is mine, touch him and die. Credit for the title goes to P. Spear, who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
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Hands and knees deep in the mud, he kept on digging. And in the background, the little white house kept on burning.  
  
I must find them. I MUST.  
  
One scoop. Then another. And another. His small hands trembling, nails broken and split He clawed through the rocks, the sand and the dirt as fast as he can. Still they escaped from between his fingers. There were mud on his face. Tears slide down slowly, leaving two arcs behind. Clear, reflecting the light cast from the flame. The light painted them red, as if he was crying blood.  
  
He remembered her smile, terrified yet determined. Long black hair swirled with the wind, sweep past her shoulders like raven wings.  
  
YOU have to take care of them now. I am counting on you.  
  
A fleeing touch on his forehead. Was it a kiss? He reached out towards her back, his hand passed through smoke.  
  
You failed.  
  
A small voice startled him, he raised tear streaked face. Ruby eyes started back at him, split pupils and glowing. Straight hair, red and unmoving even in the wind, framed delicate face like a waterfall of blood. He shuddered. The boy smiled.  
  
You FAILED. She BELIEVED IN you, and you failed HER.  
  
I...I..... he stuttered.  
  
You....you.... The boy mimicked, laughing softly. A clawed hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his neck, nails digging into the base of his throat.  
  
You ought to pay for your failures ..... don't you think? The boy cocked his head slight to the side.  
  
His eyes were misted. There were hands reaching out of the ground, grabbing him, pulling closer, pressing harder. No....no..... He tried to struggle. It hurts, it hurts so much.  
  
The hand around his throat tightened. Tell me what you want......do you want..... wish me to take the pain away?  
  
I....I.....want.... Then there was a warmth, lifting him, cuddling him in strong arms, enclosing him as if in a mother's womb.  
  
He opened his eyes and stared into worried chocolate orbs.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Zeke narrowed his eyes and sat up. This really IS annoying. He flipped and landed soundless on the floor. Jess, the cabin boy, continued to snore in the bottom bunk. He pushed open the door and walked outside.  
  
I need to kill something, he sulked.  
  
~~~*~~~~  
  
Jack had offered to put him and Elizabeth in the same cabin. Elizabeth had blushed. Will had blushed, too and stuttered out a few less than coherent sentences about engagement and honor. Jack had looked at him skeptically then shrugged. So here he lied, in the cabin between Jack's and Elizabeth's. The ship rocked slightly with each incoming wave, the candle burning at his bedside cast dancing shadows on the ceiling.  
  
He's humming a lullaby slowly to himself. The walls on the Black Pearl are thin, he can hear Jack turning in the other room. He tried hard not to imagine what Jack looks like in his night shirt...or does he wear a night shirt.....or maybe nothing at..... No. No. NO. He pounded his head into the pillow. Ever since this morning....or more specifically, ever since that weird thought about Jack's hands, he had been having....difficulties keeping his mind off the pirate. He found himself musing about the strangest thing, like how the kohl around Jack's eyes only emphasize the depth in those dark orbs, and how the gold caught the sunshine when he smirks. In a panic, he had taken great effort to avoid the pirate all day. He even tried to hide in the kitchen. Zeke had stared at him the whole time. It was creepy, but the way the cook was peeling potatoes without looking or cutting his own fingers off was rather impressive.  
  
Maybe I am coming down with something.  
  
His eyes feel heavy, but sleep eluded him. He was just start counting the first sheep when a sound startled him. It came from Jack's room. He blinked, pulled over the cover and wriggled his nose when his toes touched the cold floor. He half kneeled and pressed his left ear to the wall. There it was again, a dull sound, like a fist hitting the wood. Then there was a loud yelp and he can just make out the next word.  
  
"....hurts....."  
  
He bolted, out of the room and throw opened Jack's door.  
  
Moon light spilling through the open window. Jack was turning and twisting on the bed, the cover rolling down just above his hips. Will crossed the distance between the door and the bed in large strides. He froze as his hand hovered just above Jack's face.  
  
What am I doing?  
  
Jack moaned and his heart clenched. He sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled the sleeping man gently toward him, and began lightly trailing cycles on his back. Jack immediately snuggled up to him and nuzzled his chest unconsciously, but his body was still tensed and trembling. Jack, he wanted to call, but there was a thousand tons weighting down on his tongue.  
  
Then Jack opened his eyes. They stared at each other, transfixed.  
  
The silence was broken as Jack worked his upper body half way out of Will's embrace, bent down a little and pulled out a bottle of rum from under the bed. He took a large swig and squeezed his eyes shut. Only to open them and stared at Will for a few moments before he took another mouthful. He lowered his head and shook it a couple of times, then peaked at Will with one eye, and poked Will's cheek with an index finger. Will blinked, Jack opened both eyes and poked him again.  
  
This time, the pressure stayed. One finger soon became two, then three, then a palm. Will cocked his head and leaned into the touch.  
  
Soft.....soft and warm.  
  
Close, they were getting closer. Will sniffed his nose a little. Jack was all around him, smelled of  
  
rum and sweat and the sea. He closed his eyes.  
  
A loud splash and the ship shook violently.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The first canon fire missed, but it did create a sizable shock wave and managed to wake up most of the crew.  
  
Will almost collided with Elizabeth as he and Jack ran out of the room. He steadied her with one hand and took the sword she handed him with the other. Together the three climbed up to the top deck.  
  
The first thing they saw was fire. The Pearl's black fans were on fire. Anamarie shouted at them: "We are under attack!!!!" The crews were running, screaming, shooting their pistols at the distant enemy. Gun fire and explosions surrounded them.  
  
Jack immediately began barking orders. Another explosion. Will pulled Elizabeth behind a stack of crates for cover, she took out her pistol and held it firmly. A few meters away, Jack cursed loudly: "STOP blow holes in me ship!!!! You worthless cowards!!!!"  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The other ship had moved within boarding distance. Figures, clad all in black began to throw hooked ropes and swing toward the Pearl.  
  
Zeke rotated the small dagger between his fingers calmly as the others pulled out their swords. The Pearl rocked as another canon ball burst straight through the lower deck. The captain was at the helm, trying to steer the ship to a more advantageous position. Jack has one hand on the wheel, the other making rude gestures at the other ship. "Ye're hurt'ng me love, oh, me precious. STOP IT!!! Ye FUCKING BASTARDS!!!!!"  
  
Zeke gave him a quick look and sidestepped just in time to avoid a sword thrust. He shifted his body 90 degrees to the left, putting himself behind his attacker. He brought his left hand up from an angle, held the man's jaw firmly from behind and slashed his throat with the dagger. He smiled, feeling better already.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Will and Elizabeth looked at each other hard, nodded and jumped out from the crates at the same time. Elizabeth shot the nearest enemy in the shoulder, causing the man to lose his grip in mid swing and fall down, straight onto Will's sword.  
  
After a few sharp jerks, the Black Pearl finally began firing back. Jack laughed maniacally somewhere to his left, he tried futilely to keep Elizabeth in his sight. Stab, sweep, parry and stab again. The smoke was getting ticker, he was losing her. "Elizabeth!!!" he yelled and jabbed his elbow into the stomach of the man who had tried to sneak up behind him.  
  
He spotted her as she was being backed into a corner. He jumped the last couple of steps and grabbed her attacker's right arm and twisted. It broke right off through the shoulder joint. Will's eyes widened, there was no blood. The severed arm thrust upward, and covered his face with its palm and pushed, smashing Will's head hard against the post behind him.  
  
Pain exploded and blackness swallowed him.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"Will!!!" came Elizabeth's desperate cry.  
  
Two pairs of eyes snapped towards her as she was knocked down. Her attacker flipped Will onto his shoulder and jumped overboard.  
  
Sulfur. Zeke snarled. He smelled sulfur. Well, well, what do you know. Then he felt the pull around his waist, someone had throw a rope around him while he was distracted. Another sharp tag made him lose his balance and fall down the short stair he was standing on.  
  
Oops. He couldn't even brace himself against the impact before a large hand grabbed the back of his shirt, and tossed him over the sail.  
  
Oh, no. Not the water, anything but the water. Zeke flailed his arms gracelessly before he smashed head first into the sea.  
  
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Zeke: The fighting scenes were horrible.  
  
Me: I know, I was gonna keep them short so that nobody would figure out I am sucked at it. But then it just kept on growing. I really don't know anything about fighting,(comments, suggestions, anyone??) I prefer to use peaceful and diplomatic way to solve conflicts.  
  
Zeke: Yeah, if she can't talk her way out of it, there are always the options of running away and playing dead.  
  
Me: You SHUT UP! I still got that mullet, you know. Please R&R ^_^ 


	4. chapter 3

Upon a Painted Ocean - Part 3  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: I don't know...PG. so far I guess  
  
Summary: This is quickly turning out to be an adventure story instead of ..a first time fic....with some OC, some angst, some sap, some h/c, and a lot of supernatural. But there is still gonna be slash, just gonna be slow in coming.  
  
Disclaim: Pirate of the Caribbean isn't mine, I ain't making no money off of this, so don't sue. But Zeke is mine, touch him and die. Credit for the title goes to P. Spear, who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Specical Thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: This part is a bit boring, especially the last few paragraphs. I had to explain what happened to Port Royal, couldn't really put it off any longer. I know it isn't very original. But I just watched that movie a while ago and it's the scariest movie I've ever seen. It's stuck in my head and still giving me nightmares.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Casualties?"  
  
"None. Light to moderate injuries to most of the crew, couple of seriously wounded, we still couldn't stop Jess' bleeding." Mr. Gibbs scratched his beard softly, "Young Mr. Turner and the cook are missing."  
  
".....Any live ones?"  
  
"Not the ones on board, but we did find this." He held out a small medallion made of some reddish metal, "the same thing was also tattooed on some of them attackers."  
  
"....I see." Jack hissed out, his fist tightening around the medallion.  
  
Mr. Gibbs swallowed and took an unconscious step back. He waited a few more minutes for an order, saw none coming, sighed and went back to help with the repairing. Jack stroked the wheel slowly, to calm himself. His heart had sunk when he heard Elizabeth's desperate cry last night. He had frozen when he saw Will; his lungs contracting painfully.  
  
His limp body being flipped onto one shoulder, Will's eyes closed tight, small streams of blood dripping from his hair onto the deck.  
  
You FAILED.  
  
A sting on his shoulder shocked him out of the trance. He brought up his hand and traced the bandages on his right shoulder lightly. They were already soaked with blood again. It was a deep cut, but he hadn't felt anything at the time. All he could see was Will's ashen white face and that small singsong voice in the back of his mind kept on repeating.  
  
You failed. You failed. You failed again.  
  
He had dashed to the sail on the other side. There was nothing when he looked down, only the white foams where Will and his captor made impact. He felt his blood freeze over, the voice increased to a constant drumming. There was red, red everywhere, fire and blood.  
  
By the time the last attacker was killed, the enemy ship was long gone. The other ship had left its own men behind as a diversion while it fled. He had calmed down and pushed Will's kidnapping to the back of his mind. There were more pressing matters to deal with at that time.  
  
~~~*~~~~  
  
Elizabeth pressed the bloodied cloth harder against the wound. "Hold on, you'll be fine." She stroked his forehead softly. Jess' mouth opened and closed a few times, his eyes stared ahead, unseeing. His hand reached out blindly, she immediately took hold of it, squeezing it tightly. His lips trembled, "...col.....cold.....I.....m.....s..soo.....col...." Each syllabus grew quieter until there were no more sound. Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the sting behind them and bit down hard on her bottom lip.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Maybe tripping that watchman into the sea hadn't been such a bright idea, Zeke crossed his legs and rested his back against the wall of the cell, but I needed to vent my frustration on something. Still, this was no ordinary ship. He hadn't seen it coming until it was too late and Zeke had VERY good night vision.  
  
The door on the other side opened and two men walked in. They were both wearing black, with last night's blood and sweat still on them. Zeke grimaced at the smell and the flashes of bad teeth, but paid them no more mind.  
  
"So th's tha trophy Gile brought in."  
  
"Pretty thin'g, ain't he."  
  
When he'd hit the water last night, he had panicked.....for the first time in hell knows how long. Human bodies are so fragile after all. That really was NOT how he wanted to return home, he would be the laughing stock of all nine rings. So he had flailed arms and legs in all directions, trying to keep afloat. His left hand had hit something solid and he had latched onto it with all his might. The something turned out to be another man's booted leg, one of the attackers, who was in the process of climbing back to his own ship via the net on the side. The enemy ship was already pulling away from the Pearl, and no way was Zeke going to brave the distance between the two. He had given the man a weak little grin and allowed himself to be pulled up.  
  
"Wha di da cap'tn say about him."  
  
"I heard he's go'na *reward* the pretty to tha crew later."  
  
This is NOT my day. Come to think of it, it hasn't been my week or month. My luck's been in steady decline ever since I took this hell forsaken assignment.  
  
"Yo, pretty, we're go'na eat ya alive."  
  
"Yeaa, eat ya alive."  
  
No wonder Ursella was smirking at me when I left. Everyone else made it look so easy, why does EVERY evil little trick I do ALWAYS backfire.  
  
"We'll put tha pretty lit'le mouth of yars to good use."  
  
"Ya'll scream so hard tha whole sea will hear ya."  
  
He fingered the shackles on his wrists, wondering how much heat it would take to melt the metal.  
  
"Yo, prick. Are ya even listening to us??"  
  
"Stup'd pris, fuck'ng kids now days. I fuck'ng wish...."  
  
"Oh, yeah." Zeke's face lighted up, "what do you WISH for?"  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Elizabeth shut the door quietly behind her and slide down onto the floor.  
  
I will not cry. I will NOT cry.  
  
She had seen death before, both under violent and peaceful circumstances. She had even caused a few herself, either directly or indirectly. Every time, the ache in her heart grew strong. It ripped a small part of her away, a part of her humanity. Her shoulders shook  
  
Will.....I wish you were here......  
  
She buried her face between her knees. .....first Port Royal.....then father....now you, I can't lose you, too. Will. Not loss, she reminded herself. She hadn't lost her father nor Port Royal, but it was close and it's getting closer with each passing day. Elizabeth thought back to the events that lead to this.  
  
It started out inconspicuous enough. The local baker fell ill, the doctor had deemed it minor and prescribed an herb and two. Then the baker's wife attacked some poor innocent bystander in the market. The couple were locked away. A few days later, their condition worsen. Their eyes turned bloody and their behaviors more and more eradicate and violent. The towns people began talking about demon possessions.  
  
The gossips grew wider and louder until Elizabeth's father, governor Swan, invited his old friend to Port Royal to perform an exorcism ceremony. Father Cane was well known in the empire, especially for his efforts in hunting down and terminating supernatural creatures of darkness. Elizabeth thought it was all overly dramatic, but had kept her silent since the baker and his wife did get better.  
  
Things quieted down for a few days. Elizabeth and Will had begun planning for their wedding. They had thought to decide a date soon, since the whole town was in such cheery spirit. The governor had extended an invitation to Father Cane and even entertained the idea of him performing the wedding instead of the local priest. He had became something of a celebrity.  
  
It was a stormy night when Elizabeth heard the first scream. At first she thought it was another pirate attack. Her father had locked up the mansion and forbidden her to leave. She had tied together the bed sheets and made a rope, so that she could climb out through the window. The town was in an uproar, there were fire, smoke, screaming everywhere. People were hurting each other and themselves. Elizabeth was terrified. The first place she went was Mr. Brown's. She found Will in a headlock and Mr. Brown about to bring down an ax on him. She hit him on the head with a rum bottle. (Me: what goes around, comes around!!! sorry, couldn't resist)  
  
It seemed to be a strange illness, an infection that had snatched almost half the town people. Most ships, included the navy vessels were out of port at the time, and were warned off in order to contain the spreading of this madness. Around the upper hills where the riches lived, the soldiers who were stationed at Port Royal had set up barricade for those who were still well. Father Cane and the governor held meeting well into midnight. Father Cane told them that he had ordered a large amount of rare herbs and medicines from the far east, which were due to arrive in a day or two. Those medicine, he told them, were essential in order to drive off the evil spirits and cure the towns people. How very convenient, Elizabeth had thought. She was still skeptical, but it seemed the priest was their best chance. Small groups of soldiers were sent out to retrieve it, none of them came back. Then governor Swan had fell ill as well. They had to tie him to his bed post to stop him from clawing out his own eyes.  
  
Elizabeth had volunteered then. She and Will sneaked down to the town only to find a pirate ship docked at the bay. The pirates soon made off with their medicine. They had stolen a small ship, a boat really, and followed closely in pursuit. The last time Elizabeth saw Port Royal was through the thick morning fog as the town grew smaller and smaller into the horizon.  
  
They lost their target shortly afterward. A few days later, they found the Black Pearl. Or perhaps it was the Black Pearl that found them, Elizabeth thought back. Either way, she was still extremely grateful for their fortune.  
  
~~~*~~~~  
  
Will woke up to singing. He tried to move his head to search for the soft voice, but his vision was swirling and he couldn't lift his hands.  
  
Where am I?  
  
The coppery taste in his mouth reminded him of the previous night. He felt pressed down, like when he got the flu as a child, his mother had put several thick blankets on top of him. They were heavy and always made him felt like being trapped in a cocoon.  
  
Jack......the Pearl.....Elizabeth!! We were attacked.  
  
He tried to move his hands again, this time they budged. He reached one hand behind his head, it came away sticky. Footsteps came closer, he would have jumped back if he could when a rather ugly face pressed itself against the bars.  
  
The door burst open. The guard turned around and stood up, took a few steps towards the door, then froze. A few seconds of silence, the guard fell down, a smaller dagger stood out between his eyes. Will did a double take, his voice felt staging and unused.  
  
"Well, fancy .... meeting you here."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Me: It's getting darker, I should probably change the PG. rating.  
  
Zeke: I liked it.  
  
Me: You WOULD.  
  
Zeke: Why does Will always have to be the one getting kidnapped? Why can't it be Jack, it will make my job so easy without his little anchor to support him.  
  
Me: ...... you know, it's not a bad idea. Maybe I can have Jack kidnapped and Norrington come to his rescue....accidentally of course. I doubt the Commodore would do it willing....at least, not at first. But not for this one, it's too late to change the plot now. So R&R everyone, please. ^_^ 


	5. chapter 4

Upon a Painted Ocean - Part 4  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 ... and probablly higher  
  
Summary: This is quickly turning out to be an adventure story instead of a romance....with some OC, some angst, some sap, some h/c, and a lot of supernatural. But fear not, there's still gonna be tons of slash, it's just gonna be slow in coming.  
  
Disclaim: Pirate of the Caribbean isn't mine, I ain't making no money off of this, so don't sue. But Zeke is mine, touch him and die. Credit for the title goes to P.Spear, who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: This has gotta to be the most boring chapter so far, no blood, no sword fight, and Jack has only like two lines. I've also shamelessly taken some reference from the Anderson tale, couldn't resist. Please R&R everyone! ^_^ Suggestions and corrections are always welcome, they make me write better and faster, ye know *wink, wink*  
  
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"I can't speak as a professional, but you will probablly live." Zeke said as he cleaned the wound on Will's head with a piece of cloth ripped from his shirt.  
  
I want to sleep.  
  
Will felt weightless, like he was submerged under water. Everything around him looked blurry and disoriented. There was an invisible net around him, restraining him, choking him. His eyes are getting heavier. He winced at a particular hard nip.  
  
"Under the circumstances, I don't think falling asleep would be a good idea, Mr. Turner."  
  
"Will, just call me Will," It's always comforting to know someone else is stuck in the same hellhole situation as you. "Or would you rather I call you Mr. Black."  
  
"Zeke is fine....Will." Zeke resumed the task at hand.  
  
Will tried to stand up and stumbled. Zeke placed a hand under his shoulder blade and lowered him back down. "I wouldn't advise standing up too quickly neither."  
  
The cook is acting really strange, Will mused, rather talkative for one.....  
  
"Stay here." Zeke pressed a small dagger in his hand and popped him against the wall. "I am going to go look around, test the water a little."  
  
He gave the cook a nod in acknowledgment. Not soon after Zeke slipped through the door, his eyes closed again. His last thought was of captain Jack Sparrow. Jack's face when he woke from that nightmare, like he had seen something wonderfull but couldn't really trust himself not to still be inside a dream.  
  
I hope you are all right, Jack.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The corridor was empty, in fact, the entire deck was empty. Zeke crouched inside the shadow, both palms pressed down on the floor. He can feel the vibration of the wood as if the ship itself was breathing. He shut his eyes and tried to pull in as many sound as possible. There, most of the crews were busy working on the top deck.  
  
They are certainly in a hurry to go somewhere.  
  
There weren't a lot of people on board, especially for a ship this size. Then again, Zeke had noticed the considerable number of dark figures still on the Pearl when they were pulling away.  
  
He felt uneasy. He didn't have much experience with any kind of escaping, because he rarely get caught. Normally he would burn a path and take as many damned souls as possible back home and be done with it. Unfortunately, the body he's currently resided in has limits, not to mention there's still Will to consider.  
  
I don't think the boy can move very far. I suppose...I can just kill him and take over the ship. Zeke contemplated to himself. It shouldn't present too great of a challenge, not if those two other idiots were any indication. And if what I thought early was true......  
  
He has no doubt that Will's death would devastate captain Jack Sparrow. He had heard the occasional slurred out tales about the two's last adventure, usually when large amount of rum was involved and the crew's inhabitation at their lowest. He recalled some of the horror stories his shipmates had oh-so-delightfully passed around, about how much more unstable and vicious Jack Sparrow had became. They certainly fueled the whole "so-evil-hell- itself-spat-him-out" image of the pirate captain. Zeke had liked that Jack much better, even if he did spend a great deal of time immersed himself in rum and whores.  
  
But now.....what a waste of potential.  
  
Once Anamarie had commented on how the captain smiled much more ever since young Mr. Turner came aboard. Zeke didn't see any difference at the time. He had thought that Jack Sparrow always smiles, in a queer fakery kind of way. Still, he couldn't stop the impending feeling that his mission was about to be doomed.  
  
I should kill him. I really should kill him.  
  
But for some reason, which he did not want to think too hard on, he didn't want Will Turner's blood on his hands.  
  
I am not one of those low ranking dimwits who use a big-bang to solve everything. I am a manipulator, he argued with himself. I don't want to kill the brat because I want him to suffer. Yeah, that's right. Make him suffer for messing with my plan......just....not right now.  
  
As for Jack Sparrow, Zeke had already invested too much time and energy on him to just give up. His soul will be mine. Zeke decided. I'll wait, things have a tendency to get worse when they are concerned with Sparrow.  
  
He walked down the corridor slowly and stopped at a door at the end of a Y intersection. It was jammed, he gave it a solid jostle. The door creaked open without a sound. He peeped inside carefully. It would have to do. They needed some place to hide and plan their next move before someone discovered the bodies. He turned and began go back to fetch Will  
  
Keep your target close, and your target's weakness closer.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Once again Will woke to singing. He looked around, Zeke hasn't returned yet. He pushed himself up slowly, his head was still spinning a little.  
  
What is that? .....it has to be.....singing....  
  
He dragged his feet up one inch at a time, one step, then another. There was another room connected to his, half of it was enclosed in metal bars identical to the one he was kept in. The room smelled like burned flesh and on the floor there were two heaps of ashes.  
  
What happened?  
  
Carefully stepped around, he tried to hold on to whatever was still in his stomach and pushed open the other door. The singing came from the room across the hall. The room was unlocked. Cautiously, he peeped inside. It appeared to be a storage room, there were stacks of boxes and baskets scattered around.  
  
There it is again..... Will stilled and looked around carefully. He followed the soft sound. In the shadow, it was a barrel.  
  
The barrel was shut tight, but there are small holes on top of the lid. He bent down his head slightly and tried to peak through the holes. A shadow flashed and he jumped back. The singing stopped and there were something like fingers reach out from under the holes.  
  
They were fingers. Then a small voice called out, "....help me...." Will gawked at it and slowly pulled out the knife from his sleeve. The lid wasn't nailed, instead there were a series of small hooks that locked the lid onto the side of the barrel. He carefully peeled those open and push the lid off.  
  
The barrel was filled with water and a small face hesitantly looked up at him. A girl, around 14 or maybe younger, with the most strange shade of hair. Green, he stared at it incredibly, then he noticed the eyes. Large, gold, split pupiled eyes were slowly filling with gratitude and adoration. His jaw dropped before he gasped and began slowly edge away.  
  
"NO....no....don't go....please." One small hand reached toward him.  
  
Was that fins on her arm? "Wh, who? What?"  
  
"Don't go....please...I don't want to go back to the dark....please." The small voice pleaded softly. She continued to rise, until her upper body is completely out of water. Light green scales covered her from waist down. Will stumbled back and blushed, then immediately turned his face away. She may looked young, but she was well developed.  
  
He pinched himself hard ..... twice. It's a mermaid, he was busy swallowing down the hysteria, I just found a mermaid in a freaking barrel. He took a few deep breaths. Well, it really shouldn't surprise him that much. After all he did fight off a swarm of skeleton pirates just over a year ago. If the undead were real, then all the other weird things he's heard as a child can't be that far off stretch.  
  
"Wha...." His mouth felt dry, he tried again more politely. "Who are you?"  
  
"Tisha! My name is Tisha." There were so much joy in that voice, he couldn't help but smiled at her. "I am Will......what are you doing here?" "They caught me. I was just at this beach....there were a lot of pretty rocks....then those bad men, they had this big, nasty net....", she waved her hands a little and frowned. Will was reminded of Jack, whose bottom lip would also stick out a little just like that when he doesn't get his way.  
  
Concentrate. William Turner. Concentrate.  
  
"....then they put me in this barrel....I don't know how long it's been." The girl....mermaid was still talking. "Are you here to rescue me?" She grabbed his hand suddenly and stared at him dreamily. "Wh, what?" "There is this old tale among my people....about this mermaid princess and her prince."  
  
"Wh, What? No, I...." But she had started talking again, "...She rescued him from this sinking ship...." Her body language just screamed Jack, she's even swaggering.  
  
How did she do that without legs?  
  
"....well, she did die in the end, but still, it was so beautiful and so romantic and so...."  
  
"What's this?" Zeke said beside him. He jumped, "D...Don't DO that!!!" The mermaid had stopped in mid-sentence, her mouth open and closed a couple of time. She was gaping at Zeke with a terrified _expression. Will looked at her quizzicly. She shrieked and ducked under so quick that the water splashed out and narrowly missed wetting the front of Will's trouser.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
After much explanation and convincing, Tisha finally agreed to let Zeke carried her in some old blanket they've found. Zeke had a long-suffered _expression on his face, while she held herself perfectly still in his arm, and gave him occasional glance filled with both awareness and horror. As stealthily as possible, they made to the other room.  
  
The room was circular in shape, about 6 to 7 meters in diameter. Curved book shelves lined the walls, there were a couple of big leather armchairs scattered around. A wooden table stood in the center, books laid open on it. Underneath the small round window in the room was an old fireplace. A few pathetic rays of light broke through the glasses, and covered whatever it touched with an grayish white  
  
"A pirate ship with a library. Well, will wonders ever cease." Will said dryly.  
  
He swiped his index finger across the table, leaving a short clear line. "I don't think anyone come in a lot, we should be safe here, for a while."  
  
Tisha was tense, but still was looking around with curiosity. The blanket wrapped around her was getting wetter. Zeke closed his arms around her a little more, even with a layer of fabric in between, her scales were still very slippery.  
  
"Now, let's make you comfortable. Where are we going to place you?" Will murmured.  
  
"Over there will be fine," Zeke motioned with his head towards the corner, "it's out of the sun, so the meat won't spoil."  
  
Will stopped, then looked at him carefully ".....Zeke, why ... did you take her with us?"  
  
"I didn't mug any food." he said evenly.  
  
"....."  
  
"Half of her is fish."  
  
"....."  
  
"Will? Why is your eye twitching like that?"  
  
~~~*~~~~  
  
"What do you mean we are NOT going after them??!!!"  
  
Jack covered his ears and tried to put some more distance between himself and Elizabeth. "We ca't afford to make any side trips, Missie"  
  
"What!"  
  
"The basic repair already took us a full day." Mr. Gibbs joined in, "with most of the fans gone, it would take us almost twice the time to reach the next port."  
  
Jack held his palms up and gave a "there you go" wave towards his first mate.  
  
"There's also the code. Whoever falls behind, gets left behind." Anamarie reasoned.  
  
"And whoever get captured, gets left captured?" Elizabeth is shaking now, she forced through clenched teeth, "they're more like guidelines anyway...."  
  
"Ha' about Port Royal then?" Jack pointed out to her evenly, "Ae' ye ready to abandon your father an' the town?"  
  
She paled. "I....I..... but, Will.... he......"  
  
"Th' lad is Bootstrap Bill's son, he'll be fine." Jack gave her a open mouthed grin, but the smile did not reach his eyes.  
  
"Th' greater good, eh?" There was a bitterness in his voice that Elizabeth wasn't ready to explore further. "Th' whelp's expendable."  
  
*SLAP*  
  
Elizabeth turned and stomped away. "I don't think I deserve that." Jack grunted and nursed his redden cheek.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
After Will finally managed to calm Tisha down, and reassuring her that: No, they were not going to eat her, and no, not even when they were on the verge of starvation. She had restored back to ignoring them. Zeke was not pleased; his hair was still damp from when she repeatedly banged on his face with her tail.  
  
Stupid fish, he thought darkly, I'll deep fry you....alive.  
  
He gave another evil...or so he thought...glare at the mermaid. Her entire body was buried in the blanket with only the top of her skull visible, dark green hair spilling over wildly and spread out like seaweed. The bundle would twitch at uneven intervals, apparently she's still upset.  
  
They had discussed what to do next, it would probablly take a while for their captors to realizes the prisoners have escaped. However, they couldn't exactly move freely with this much excess baggage(Tisha) and Will was almost dead on his feet. Zeke had insisted they take a break when Will had slumped against the shelf for support. Will had grown pensive, he figured there was little chance for a proper escaping. However, as soon as there is a breach in the security, they could make a break for it to the upper deck and then free Tisha. She had promised to go straight for Jack, assuming the Black Pearl was still somewhere near where it was attacked last.  
  
Zeke turned his attention back to Will, who had fallen asleep shortly afterward. That wound on his head needed to be looked at properly. Zeke didn't fancy Will dead, not yet anyway. Legs curved up and held close, Will had burrowed his entire body into the armchair. One hand lay boneless at his side, his head positioned to the side and the other arm tugged underneath one cheek. His mouth was slightly open eyes moved restless behind their curtains in dream.  
  
I suppose he could be consider beautiful, Zeke studied him closer, tried to understand what the youth's appeal is to a certain pirate captain, too pale though ..... I remembere a time when the paler you were, the more likely you were to be shacked and sold off.  
  
"I know what you are."  
  
He turned his face toward Tisha, annoyed that his thoughts were interrupted. She had poked her head out of the blanket, hair plastered to her skull and covered most of her face. Her golden eyes were flashing, the slit in them darken and expanded to a long oval shape.  
  
"I know what I am, too. So what." He gave her a rueful little smirk.  
  
She hissed. "I won't let you get him. I'll protect him."  
  
He couldn't help but chuckled at that. "You are gonna have to get in line. Fish. The boy's already taken."  
  
She hissed harder and bared her sharp little teeth at him. Will stirred, they both froze. With a disgruntled grunt, she dipped her head back down again. Zeke had the certain urge to stick his tongue out at her.  
  
It was then, the strong sour smell of sulfur assaulted his nostril. His head snapped up, alarmed and was half way to wake up Will when the door was kicked down. Will leapt up off the chair, eyes wide. His gaze turned to the door.  
  
He gawked: "YOU!!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	6. chapter 5

Upon a Painted Ocean - Part 5  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 ... and probablly higher  
  
Summary: This is quickly turning out to be an adventure story instead of a romance....with some OC, some angst, some sap, some h/c, and a lot of supernatural. But fear not, there's still gonna be tons of slash, it's just gonna be slow in coming.  
  
Disclaim: Pirate of the Caribbean isn't mine, I ain't making no money off of this, so don't sue. But Zeke is mine, touch him and die.....or I'll put voodoo curse on ye. Credit for the title goes to P.Spear, who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: This is the shortest chapter so far. Same warning as always, first fic ever and English isn't my first language. For those of you who read CLAMP's work, you can probablly guess that I am addicted to them, which means I like to write dream sequels with a lot of crying, screaming and flower petals. As for the love scenes(or can they even be counted as such?_) my apologizes in advance if they sucked. I must confess that I try not to write them because I really don't know what I am doing. I mean is there some kind of guidelines, or handbook or something...?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The man at the door was dressed in the attire of a priest. The corner of his lips lifted up smugly as Will gasped, "Father Cane?!"  
  
Men in black poured out from behind the priest and soon had the three surrounded Zeke drew out his dagger from his sleeve, but found pistols and cutlasses in the radius of the room all pointing at their heads. He reluctantly dropped the dagger and raised his hands in a universal sign of surrender. Tisha squeaked and burrowed herself deeper into the armchair.  
  
"What....are you....how.....why....." Will was still staring unbelievably at the priest.  
  
"Mr. Turner, how very wonderful to see you again." The oily voice said in response. Zeke found himself instantly disliking the man. "I must admit I did not expect to find you among the prisoners."  
  
"You are ... in league with THEM?!!"  
  
"No, my dear boy. I merely require their services."  
  
"But you were at....Port Royal.... and..... YOU attacked the Pearl. Jack.... and Elizabeth!!!" With a cry, he lunged at Cane.  
  
He stopped abruptly as the tip of a sword was pressed into his throat. "Tsk, tsk" Cane chided, "still as rash as ever, how did young Miss. Swann ever stand you? I believe I shall liberate her from your ever pestering presence."  
  
"Mr. Algol. You remember Mr. Algol, don't you my boy." He gestured towards the man stepping out from behind him. "You may... indulge yourself."  
  
Will recognized the man as the one who had attacked Elizabeth last night. The man was still sporting a missing arm. He sized Will up and with a scowl raised his left fist. Will instinctively brought up his hands to shield his face, seconds before a tremendous force rammed into his chest. He dubbed over in pain. In the distance, he could hear Zeke's angry yells and Tisha's terrified screams.  
  
Algol laughed cruelly. "We are goin'g to have a lot of fun wit' ye, boy." He strode closer, grabbed the front of Will's shirt and ripped. Strings snapped and the fabric tore to reveal a smooth creamy chest. Will tried to shrink back, but a hand was twisting his shoulder painfully and a sharp kick at the knees made him lose his balance. Both of his kneecaps hit the floor, the pain shot from his legs straight to the his spine. He gasped for breath and glared up at the man defiantly.  
  
A flash of red, the silver chain around his neck swung forth with the ring dangled at the end.  
  
"STOP!" Cane's voice thundered.  
  
Algol snarled at the order, but paused. None the less, he kept his feet on the back of Will's knees and grasped his hair to tilted his head up. Cane still had his sword drawn. He picked up the ring with the tip of his sword and examined it carefully.  
  
"........ tell me, boy. How did you come about this ring?"  
  
Silence answered him.  
  
He smirked and backhanded Will across the face. Will coughed and blinked back the tears. His bottom lip was split, blood dripping down from the wound. Algol crouched down beside him. He licked the small stream from Will's chin and whispered into his ear.  
  
"You better answer th' boss, boy. Or the fish lady here," he leered at Tisha, "... will be tonight's main cours'e."  
  
".....it's my engagement ring."  
  
"Is that so." Cane was rubbing the ring attentively between his finger tips. "And how long have you had it?"  
  
"Long enough."  
  
"...you are an interesting young man indeed, Mr. Turner." Cane's shoulders shook with invisible laughter. "Ahh..... what a treasure I've found!"  
  
He sheathed his sword and straightened his back. "Now, Mr. Algol, kindly escort our guests to my quarters, there are some... private ... matters that we need to discuss."  
  
"And th' fish lady?"  
  
"Put her back in the barrel."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
He's dreaming again.  
  
But this dream was strangely peaceful. No fire. No blood. No sorrowful black eyes. No sarcastic laughter. Instead, he was filled with a sense of purpose.  
  
There is something I must do.  
  
He recognized the street. It was Port Royal. His legs took him over the bridge, under the stone gate and passed the statue of the goddess.What goddess? His hand paused at the door. The crystal sound of metal pounding on metal can be heard from the inside. He hesitated. He turned around with his back to the door.  
  
I.... I can't do it.  
  
The pounding sound stopped. He can hear the door open. Arms craddled him from behind. He leaned his head back, breathing in the smell of fresh apples mingled with the salty taste of sweat. Lips brushed across the skin just below his ear, followed by something wet and hot, which encircled his earlobe. The pure velvet heat swept pass the sensitive skin, front, back, and gone again. Only to be replaced by gentle yet insistent nipping.  
  
Oh, God.  
  
He gulped down lungfuls of air through a suddenly dry mouth. He pictured himself screaming, but the moan that came out was almost a purr, laced with need and desperation. The teeth clamped down a little more, pulling softly. One hand tightned around his waist, the other pinched the point just below his naval. He yelped, a teasing voice chuckled beside his ear. Two fingers sneaked into his half opened shirt, found a nipple, rubbed it until he was gasping and writhing.  
  
I want more.  
  
A silky voice whispered, "Aren't you going to reward me? Twice I've come to your rescue."  
  
"What... do you want?" He never sounded this weak.  
  
You.  
  
I want you.  
  
Jack.  
  
Can I keep you?  
  
A prayer. A sinful hope.  
  
He swirled around and slammed the other against the wall. Chestnut hair tousled, maghogany eyes half lidded. He tore at the other's clothes.  
  
"Hurry, Jack....PLEASE" the satiny voice urged. He was clawing and ripping at the clothes now. His hands went straight through the other's chest. Grey, everything was turning grey. The other's face blurred and smoke escaped between his fingers.  
  
Gone.  
  
Someone was pounding at the door. "Jack, wake up. Jack!!" Elizabeth's voice rang, chased away the last mist from his sleepy eyes. He stared at the ceiling solemly for a moment.  
  
What would old Bill say if he could see ye now? ....probably beat yer face in for hav'ng designs on his son.  
  
He shivered. There were no warm brown eyes watching over him. No strong arms anchoring his trembling body.  
  
That's right. Will isn't here.  
  
He drew his knees closer and wrapped the covers around himself.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Cane's room looked more like a torture chamber than sleeping quarters. There were instruments of all shapes and sizes lying on the metal table in the center. Will shuddered to think what they were for. He and Zeke were currently being chained to the wall, bound by both wrists and ankles.  
  
Zeke hadn't looked in his direction once and had flinched when Will tried to talk to him. The cook was paler than usual. His gray eyes had darkened to the color of coal. His normally wild red hair had lost it's shine and fell lifeless forward to shadow part of his face. The silence was erie and Will had only his own thoughts for company.  
  
What is going on here? Father Cane..... it all made some twisted sort of sense..... but why......  
  
Algol and the other guards had taken Zeke's dagger but did not bother to search Will. He still had the small knife hidden inside his sleeve. He rested his head against the wall, the pressure in his shoulder was becoming bothersome. The cool presence of the knife was reassuring against the inside of his wrist. It was too big to use for a lock pick, but it comforted his raging mind.  
  
A few minutes later, Cane entered the room. He looked disgustingly happy, but before he could open his mouth....  
  
"You are the mastermind behind it all," Will spit out each word, his eyes piercing, "you are responsible for everything."  
  
"Bravo, my boy! And how did you come by that conclusion?" Cane claped mockingly a few times.  
  
Will's fierce gaze followed Cane as he stalked toward him. "Other than the obvious, your timings were too.... convenient. How is it that a priest in your position and statuere just happen to be cruising around the Caribbean when the madness began? And the arrival of the medicines, even it's abduction. I suppose the pirates who did it were working for you as well?"  
  
"Captain Vann is an old ..... acquaintance."  
  
"Is that why you attacked the Black Pearl? To detain us?"  
  
"You were becoming an annoyance. It appears that I have underestimated you and Miss. Swann. I did not foresee that you would enlist the help of a pirate....especially not one such as Jack Sparrow."  
  
Cane had leaned his elbows on either side of Will's head, he spoke softly into Will's face. "I am curious, how did a respectable citizen like Miss. Swann, and a lowly blacksmith such as yourself, befriend one of the most despicable criminals in the history of the empire?"  
  
Will suppressed the urge to head butt the priest, and instead channeled all his anger and hatred into his gaze. "Jack Sparrow is a good man. He may not hold the most legitimate profession, but he is a hundred times more honorable than those who lie and hide behind the mask of righteous."  
  
"Is that so." Cane taunted, "This...Jack Sparrow. Were you two.... good friends?" Will gritted his teeth and pawed his hands useless against the wall behind him. Cane was getting dangerously close now, his body almost touching Will's. He tried to change the topic in a haste.  
  
"So those medicines, do they....they probably wouldn't work, would they. Then why did you let us chase after them??"  
  
"Now, now, my boy. You don't really expect me to reveal ALL of the details of my plan, do you?"  
  
"Did...did you start the madness as well?" Will found his thoughts lingering on the people left at Port Royal.  
  
What happens to them now....and the governor. Elizabeth would be heartbroken.  
  
"I did not start anything. The seed of evil is in the heart of every man, I simply gave it a little... fertilizing."  
  
"How can you say that! You are a priest, an advocator of God. Do you know what you've done?" Will yelled back .  
  
"What do YOU think I have done?"  
  
"You've made a pact with the devil." A voice to his left said, gray eyes stared at him thoughtfully.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	7. chapter 6

Upon a Painted Ocean - Part 6  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG13 and rising  
  
Summary: Jack is in pain, Will is confused, Elizabeth is cluless and Zeke really just want to do it right for once.  
  
Disclaim: Pirate of the Caribbean isn't mine, I ain't making no money off of this, so don't sue. But Zeke is mine, touch him and die....or I'll put a voodoo curse on you. Credit for the title goes to P. Spear, who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks for Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: Commodore Norrington finally make his entrance, and Elizabeth sounded really snotty in this one. I am not sure if Tortuga was British territory at the time. I am assuming it is for the sake of the story, I mean the English did pretty much own everything back then. Please R&R ^_^, otherwise there is no point in posting more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He could hear Elizabeth's demanding voice as he climbed the last few steps of the stair. "You know who attacked us, don't you? I saw you give Jack that medallion." Looked like the lass finally managed to corner Gibbs. "Well?" She put her arms on her hips.  
  
"err...I...really don't know wha' ye are talking about, Miss. Elizabeth." She was starting to roll up her sleeves now.  
  
He decided to take pity on the man. "Gibbs, I still need tha' supply report." Gibbs looked relieved and quickly made his exit. Elizabeth turned around and glared at Jack.  
  
"Elizabeth, darling. Don't ye have other thin'gs to do?"  
  
She took a step towards him, gritted her teeth and in a honeyed tone asked, "Jack, do you have something to tell me?"  
  
He curled his finger around the braids in his goatee as if in deep thought. "Why, yes! Did ye know tha' sea water make yer breast shrink? Now if ye just le' me massage it wit' some sand an' oil...."  
  
"JACK!" Her hands twitched. "I want...DEMAND to know who attacked us." Saw that he didn't budge, she tried a different tactic. She lowered both her shoulder and voice, "...please? I just want.... to know who has Will. And what are his chances..."  
  
He sighed, leaned his back against the rail and motioned to the spot beside him. "They were subordinates of Edward Hensel Vann, the one who took yer medicine."  
  
"...Vann, you mean he has more than one ship?" Her left hand twisted at the edge of her tunic.  
  
"He is th' leader of the group called, Brotherhood of th' Hawks. They ar' not just pirates, they ar' also contract killers. They'd do all kind of dirty jobs: kidnappin'g, murder, robbery, anythin'g for money."  
  
"So...in other words, someone else might be behind the abduction of that shipment."  
  
"I don't see an'y use that a pirate would have with some herbs." Jack knocked his fingers against the wooden rail in a slow rhythm. "Ye can't do anythin'g for the lad now. If we catch up with Vann, th' rest of his gangs can't be far behind."  
  
"You...know him?"  
  
"By reputation only." That wasn't exactly a lie. He gave Elizabeth a quick glance. Her dread and anxiousness was becoming contagious. He rubbed his eyes tiredly.  
  
The white house on the beach.  
  
Fire.  
  
Blood soaked the front of her dress.  
  
Small hands grabbed his.  
  
A hushed voice. Hide here.  
  
His eyebrows knotted together in recognition. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. He decided a quick retreat would be in order.  
  
"I know you are worried about him, too." Elizabeth said softly behind him, "I heard you called out his name last night."  
  
He stiffened. "It's not weak to care about someone, Jack.... or to have friends." She told him.  
  
She could not see his pain riddled eyes and did not hear his quiet whisper. "My friends all have th' bad habit of dying on me."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"You've made a pact with the devil."  
  
Cane turned to Zeke as if noticeing him for the first time. "Is that your theory?" with an raised eyebrow he said, "do enlighten me."  
  
"You smell like sulfur," Zeke deadpanned. "All devil worshippers smell like sulfur."  
  
Cane paused then roared with laughter. "Ahhhaaa.....you are an interesting one as well." He inclined his head toward Will slightly, "you do attract the most fascinating people, Mr. Turner."  
  
Will looked from Cane to Zeke; he didn't smell anything. Zeke was still staring at the priest intently; it was getting unnerving.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it. "What do you want out of all this?"  
  
"What do I want?" There was a dangerous glitter in the priest's eyes, his cheek twitched and a low rumbling sound slowly began to surface from his chest. "What do I want. What is the highest pursuit of every man?"  
  
"Freedom. The ultimate FREEDOM!" Cane's voice began to rise, the last word was almost a shout.  
  
Will squirmed slightly in his restraints, the priest was making Jack Sparrow look like a sane and sensible man. "You...have freedom."  
  
"NO! My freedom....our freedom is reflections of human actions and omissions. It is amended to social definitions. It is a mere shadow, a fragile illusion!!!" Cane was breathing heavily, his hands balled tightly at his sides. Will swallowed. After a few nerve wracking moment, Cane straightened his back and smoothed his white hair from his face. He gave a false polite smile towards Will.  
  
"Well, as interesting as it might be. I am not here to discuss the philosophy of life." One well-manicured hand skimmed down Will's chest, an index finger hooked into the ring at the end of the silver chain. He brought the ring to Will's eye level and whispered.  
  
"Tell me, boy. Do you know what this ring is?"  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"Captain! we have a problem." Anamarie shouted from her place in the watch post on top of the main fan. Jack took out his telescope and looked toward the direction she pointed. There, in all her magnificence, was the Dauntless. Beside her, docked two smaller ships both with British flags; they were about the size of the Interceptor.  
  
"Looks like it's yer old flame, lassie." He smirked at Elizabeth, "now, what would th' British navy be doin'g here?"  
  
"Are we still going, captain?" Mr.Gibbs asked.  
  
"We need those supplies. Bring her around, Gibbs. We will stop at the out rim of th' bay. Then split into small groups an' land by boats. Ye ar' with me, lassie."  
  
Elizabeth's eyebrows were drew together in worry. "Is it wise....for you to go I mean. The empire still have a warrant on your head."  
  
"This is Tortuga, th' island of th' pirates. The more cautious ye ar', the more suspicious ye'll be."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Fuck. Zeke cursed for the hundredth time inside his head. How could I have not known? How could I have not felt it? It was right beside me!!!  
  
Will had been stealing worried glances at him ever since they were brought into this room. The blacksmith had tried to talk to him when the guards left. His mind was in pandemonium, and he hadn't bothered formulate a response. He had fidgeted back when his eyes caught the red glow of Will's ring. Goosebumps formed on the back of his arms in response to the mystical hue; he felt like a fly trapped helplessly in a spider's web.  
  
Calm down. Take a deep breath. Just calm down.  
  
Under normal circumstances, he would have been busily admiring the interior decoration. There were so many pretty and shiny....things. But at the moment, he couldn't stop the bile rising in his throat.  
  
I am so fucked.  
  
Due to ignorance....it has to be ignorance, Zeke did not want to entertain the other options. He had completely missed the presence of that accursed stone, or part of it anyway. Its magic had grown considerably weaker, and Zeke could only feel the tinniest repulsion, vibrating softly against his skin.  
  
It's no big deal. It's just a useless piece of rock now.  
  
He ground the heel of his boot into the wooden floor, in what Ursella had always called a 'juvenile' kind of way. I AM a juvenile, he had shouted back. He tried to steer his thoughts away from that depressing path.  
  
The preacher had entered the room at sometime during his trip down the memory lane. He felt the fury slathered around Will, like a spiked armor, ready to strike. Halfheartedly, he directed his attention to the conversation.  
  
"What do YOU think I've done?"  
  
Isn't it obvious. "You've made a pact with the devil." But which one....I can sense the brand on him, but it's faint. Curious.  
  
"Is that your theory. Do enlighten me."  
  
"You smell like sulfur. All devil worshippers smell like sulfur." Ah, the sweet perfume of brimstone, I think I am getting home sick. The priest started guffawing his lungs out. All the crazy sorts found this type of activity essential. It's either a image thing or how they relieve stress, Zeke determined a long time ago, just like how a dog would hang out his tongue in hot weather. Then the priest started rambling about freedom. Talk about repressed, he snarled internally.  
  
I'll grant you the ultimate freedom. Just say the magical word.  
  
"Tell me, boy. Do you know what this ring is?"  
  
Shit.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
This, Elizabeth thought, had always been how she imagined a pirate captain would look like. Captain, or so he claimed, Johnson was perched on the stool in front of her. He had perfected the story book image down to the last detail. Great big beard. The peg leg. The eyepatch. The hook, which she suspected must be fake. And not to forget, the parrot, named Mrs. Phoebe, which is sitting on Johnson's shoulder and making very realistic gagging noises. The parrot was obviously not as dashing as Mr.Cotton's bird, whom she had affectionately dubbed 'blue tango'. This one was rather... round, Elizabeth observed, being naturally biased.  
  
The pirate had been trying to woo her with his glamorous tales of adventure for the last hour, and was steadily edging his seat closer. After a large gulp of rum, he put his hand on top of her's and said in a sluggish voice, "..an' tha's how me lost me eye...." She held down the urge to introduce her fist to his other one. "Fascinating." She breathed out through clenched teeth.  
  
Behind the pirate, Jack was swaggering towards her, two girls with colorfully painted faces were draping themselves all over him like some kind of squids with long tentacles. He stopped a few feet behind the other pirate, untangled himself from the girls. He then muttered a few excuses and waved disappointedly after the their retreating backs.  
  
"Excu'se me..." He announced his presence. The pirate ignored him and continued to leer at Elizabeth. Jack shrugged and kicked the leg of the stool. The leg broke, took the pirate down with it to fall flat on his behind The pirate grumbled a few unintelligent words, and reached for his sword with his right hand, which quickly found itself to be the target of a descending heel. There was an audible crack. Jack smiled down at him sweetly.  
  
"Do ye mind?"  
  
"N....n...no....." The pirate answered through colorless lips and scrambled away on all fours.  
  
Elizabeth watched the exchange with amusement. "I see you are in your natural element."  
  
He gave her a dramatically little bow, "No one can resist th' charm of Captain Jack Sparrow."  
  
"Certainly not the ladies." She pushed her glass away. It was still full, she hadn't wanted to test her luck.  
  
"Certainly *not*."  
  
A sigh. "Far be it from me to comment on your choice of companionship."  
  
"Now, now, Elizabeth." Jack said in a rather patronizing tone. "Just because th' deed is upraised doesn't make it any less valiant. Wha' do you think would happen if there were shiploads of horny pirates runnin'g around."  
  
"I can't imagine," She replied scarcely. "What have you found?"  
  
"The ladies told me that th' navy was sent here to..... *reform* Tortuga." His tone clearly betrayed his view on the obscurity of the situation. "They also appeared to be lookin'g for someone."  
  
"...oh, but nothing on Vann?"  
  
"He didn't stop here."  
  
"...what about the other ship?" Her hope was evident in her eyes.  
  
"They wer' ahead of us. If they had been here, they are gone now."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"It would be best if we take our leave soon, th' crew ar' almost done with loadin'g the supplies."  
  
"Yes, yes we should." She wanted to ask him to wait just a little while longer, there might just be something they missed....someone might have seen..... No. She told herself sternly. There was no point hanging on to false hope.  
  
Jack gave a node to the bartender and offered Elizabeth his hand. She stood up reluctantly. Together they made through the messy crowd and toward the door. The last twilight just glided pass the rooftops. The street was beginning to blossom with drunkard, whores and the sound of night life. She paused at the door to adjust her jacket.  
  
"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in."  
  
Jack stopped at the taunting voice and the feeling of the barrel of a pistol at his temple. He turned his head a little and came face to face with Commodore Norrington.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	8. chapter 7

Upon a Painted Ocean - Part 7  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG13 and rising  
  
Summary:  
  
Jack is in pain, Will is confused, Elizabeth is cluless and Zeke really just want to do it right for once.  
  
Disclaim:  
  
Pirate of the Caribbean isn't mine, I ain't making no money off of this, so don't sue. But Zeke is mine, touch him and die....or I'll put a voodo curse on you.  
  
Credit for the title goes to P. Spear, who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks for Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning:  
  
Jack doesn't appear in this part at all. I just thought I should get the whole thing with the ring and potion over with.  
  
Zeke: It is really... unoriginal.  
  
Me: Be nice. I wanted Will to initiate the relationship (it's always the other way around), and I need some kind of motivation. He doesn't seem like someone who would ditch Elizabeth just because he's lusting after Jack. I think he's responsible and has a strong sense of duty...and he does love Elizabeth, just in a brotherly sort of way. So R&R everyone.... even if it is to tell me how much I suck. : )  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cane was caressing the ring like a lover. Will had plastered his back against the wall, there was no other place to go.  
  
"This ring ... this ruby was part of a bigger piece. The original gem was excavated .... no, robbed about a hundred years ago, from the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh. The piece was too big to smuggled out of the country, so the thief broke it into thirteen pieces and engraved them into various adornments."  
  
Cane scratched his chin softly, deep in thought. Will wondered where he's going with this. It all seemed so completely off topic with their current issue.  
  
"Now, the thief died shortly after. Some said it was the curse of the pharaoh. But according to the stone tablets inside the tomb, the ruby was used to imprison one of the most powerful demons of ancient time. By destroying the stone, the demon was released."  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Will tested his hands around the shackles, his shoulders were getting really sore.  
  
"Patience, my boy, patience." Cane dismissed Will's protest with a wave, "....have you ever heard of something called wish master?"  
  
Will's silence and bored _expression were his only answers.  
  
"They grant you wishes in exchange for your soul. They are supposedly one of the highest ranking demons in hell. Especially this one, who was so evil, so vicious that he painted the Nile crimson with blood." Cane's voice raised with his excitement, like a professor in the middle of his favor lecture. "The ruby, after over five thousands years of containing the evil, has absorbed all his wickedness. The jewel made from it will corrupt its wearer and eventually drain him of all life. .....it was said that only those who has the purest heart and the strongest will could resist the temptation."  
  
He stroked his finger across Will's bottom lip, pulled away just in time to avoid being bitten. "Such innocent... and purity, is just *begging* to be tainted."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Finally. Some respect. Zeke listened approvingly to the priest. One little mistake though, it wasn't the entire river, just a section of it, a very small section. Ok, so it was only a pod, but it was right in the pharaoh's backyard. But I still couldn't figure out why that spoiled Pharaoh brat was so pissed with the gore and all. He was the one who wanted to see the wonders that he had never laid eyes upon.  
  
Will's eyebrows had just skyrocketed. Zeke chuckled to himself, what was that old saying...oh, yeah, the devil's greatest achievement is convicting mankind that he doesn't exist. He recalled that particular tomb raider. A non-believer he was, which you had to be if your livelihood happened to involve disturbing the dead. The thief had shown surprisingly amount of good sense and refused the gratitude offered by the nice little boy who came out of the gem. Actually he had stuffed the jewels in his pocket and ran.  
  
I wasn't exactly in my best element at that time, being stuck inside a rock for five thousands years can do that to you. He was really scrawny, too. Probably died of malnutrition, not that I mind taking the credit for his dismissal.  
  
But that thing with the ruby pieces was just ridiculous. Who the hell came up with such ludicrous tales? Sure, blame everything on the demons. In Zeke's limited experience, he found that greed is usually the cause for most deaths involving shiny and expensive objects. If anything, he should be the one afraid. That Egyptian brat may have been arrogant, but he was also very powerful.  
  
~~~*~~~~  
  
Will sighed. His suspicion had just been confirmed.  
  
Cane was crazy.  
  
Not about the demons. After skeleton pirates and mermaid, he can believe anything. It was the way Cane talked, the way he held himself, like a man possesed.  
  
Maybe that's what Zeke meant.  
  
His head had cleared up a great deal since his unfortunate encounter with that post. There was only a tiny tingling every time his wound is exposed to a breeze. He found his mind toning out Cane's chattering and drifted towards a certain ship and its inhabitants. He had no doubt that the Black Pearl won the fight the other night. He stared blankly at the setting sun outside of Cane's window.  
  
How long has it been? Almost two days I think.  
  
Guilt swelled up in his stomach. Elizabeth. He had spared her only a handful of thoughts since his captivity.  
  
I am a terrible fiancé. I know she's all right, Jack wouldn't let anything happen to her .... I hope.  
  
He had found himself somewhat preoccupied since he boarded the Pearl. All his life he had tried to mold himself into the image of a respectful citizen of the law, just liked the false image of his father, but he had never quite fitted in. Even back in Port Royal, he had heard the calling of the sea and its bewitching lulling. There were nights when he stayed awake and debated whether he should have jumped after Jack that day.  
  
I wanted to stay with Elizabeth. My home is wherever she is. I love ..... her.  
  
The last one sounded almost like a question in his mind. When he had first opened his eyes after the pirate attack on the passage ship, he had thought he was in heaven. There was the most beautiful angel smiling down at him. From that day on, she had became his lifeline, his connection to a past that was lost too soon and a future that seemed never to come. He wanted to stay close to her, to bask in her glory and radiance, because he was so cold, so very cold and lonely. As they grew older, that childish adoration transformed to devotion and admiration. But he dared not advance any closer; he was content to just watching her from afar. His world was perfect until that one fateful day when he met captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
His first sight of the man had been those kohl-lined black eyes, so deep and hard, yet they shined with such childish innocence and mischief. He had felt like he was drowning again. During that fight, a single thought kept running through his mind. I MUST not let him go. He had an inkling that if he failed, he would lose the most precious thing in his life. He knew he liked Jack, they were friends after all. He liked his laughing eyes, those colorfully decorated braids, those thin lips that would curved into a bow when he smiled, that smooth tanned skin which contrasts so sharply against the crystal beads of sweat, that......  
  
Oh, my god. I ... I think....I am ... attracted to Jack Sparrow, and...maybe even more.  
  
Is this why he so often found himself watching the pirate captain, imprinting every detail with his hungry eyes? Is this why his thought always involuntarily turned to daydream of high sea and said captain by his side? Is this why he had felt so hesitant and unsure when he was courting Elizabeth?  
  
How....could I....... I am a monster.  
  
His friendship with the pirate was one of the most important things to him. He can not lose that just on the basis of some youthful curiosity and unsatisfied lust.  
  
Jack must never find out about this.  
  
Suddenly, a sharp burn across his cheek brought him back to reality.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The boy was clearly not paying attention. Cane slapped him, "Am I boring you, Mr. Turner?" There was a dangerous hint in his voice that the answer had better be no.  
  
"Since you have been such a captivating audience, I'll let you in on a secret. You, my dear boy, are going to help me with a little experiment." Cane walked to the table, opened a drawer and took out a small flask. He spun the flask around its neck a few times, the clear liquid inside bubbled. "This is potion I've been making, not that different from the one I used in Port Royal..."  
  
"So it WAS you!"  
  
"...and I've been meaning to test it out." Cane continued as if uninterrupted, "Instead of drawing on people's fear, hatred and pain, this particular concation draws on .... love and...desire. The curse that is brewed into the potion will feed on that desire, twist that love until there is only the need to hurt and take."  
  
Will was beginning to feel sick. "Tell me, boy. You haven't .... bedded young Miss. Swann, have you?" The priest looked vaguely proud of himself. With one hand clamped down Will's jaw and forcing it open, Cane poured the liquid down his throat. Will twisted his head fruitlessly within that iron grip, the potion was cool and sweet as honey, but left a bitter aftertaste. His vision was spinning out of control, his heartbeats thundered in his ears. Between loud laughter, Cane was saying something.  
  
"seek out your true love.... your heart.... pure.... meant to be broken.... innocent spoiled.....trust destroyed.... suffering.... power.... the ultimate freedom..." Will could only make out a few discontinued fragments before the abyss of sleep claimed him.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"That was twisted." Zeke said matter of fact.  
  
I like it, although it's not my usual cup of tea. But I doubt it will go according to your plan.  
  
"And you are mad. Power will bring the complete opposite of freedom. It will bind you and control you. It's a drug, the more you have the more you will want."  
  
I really have no luck. What is it with me and the mentally unstable ones? One lunatic is more than enough, thank you very much.  
  
Cane gave him a meaningful look, ".... what would a pirate know."  
  
Apparently more than you. Fool. I'll definitely be seeing you in a couple of years. In hell.  
  
"Mr. Algol!" The door swing opened, and the one armed man walked in. "How is our course?"  
  
"We ar' still heading towards the..." Algol glanced at Zeke from the corner of his eyes, "....meetin'g place."  
  
"Change the course. We are going to Tortuga."  
  
"Tortuga, sir?"  
  
"That's where the Black Pearl will be. Couldn't excatly conduct my experiment without the other necessary ingredients ..... Ahhhaahaaaa...."  
  
Zeke's ears were beginning to hurt, but he had to ask: "How did you know?"  
  
"Haaahaaa..... a little blue bird told me...... Ahhahhaaaahhhaa.." Zeke kept his mouth shut. It *was* possible, one learn not to question psychopath like that. "Ahhhaaa....er....Mr. Algol. Inform me when we arrived and prepare the boat. We will be taking Mr. Turner with us."  
  
"Th' redhead?"  
  
Cane smirked, "The young gentleman here has an appointment with...what do you call it...Dave Jone's locker."  
  
Shit. Not again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	9. chapter 8

Upon A Painted Ocean - Part 8  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: Jack is in pain, Will is confused, Elizabeth is clueless and Zeke really just wants to do it right for once.  
  
Disclaim: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke. Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. Please R&R everyone, otherwise, there is no point in posting more. I do have the next two chapters done, ye know *wink, wink*  
  
Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last time. *happy, happy* ^_^ I am glad you all like Zeke, I made him up from bits and pieces from the people around me, so I was worrying about the fact that he might not have much of a personality or even if he does, it would be all over the place. and I wasn't consciously trying to make him fun. But oh well, I guess it does add more chemistry.  
  
Tweeser: Zeke's real intention? He wants Jack's soul. or at least make sure that soul goes to hell since no demon had successfully tempted Jack. But now I think he's sticking around because he doesn't like the idea of giving up, rather than because he really wants Jack's soul.  
  
" " - speech // // - thought *** *** - flashback  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Elizabeth." There was a barely conceiled trembling in Norrington's voice. "It's so good to see you again. We must get you out of this weather. Are you cold? Here have my...." It seemed that the commodore still harbored feelings for the lass. Jack noted and deposited that knowledge to the back of his mind.  
  
// Interesting. That's very interesting and could prove to be... useful. //  
  
The lass appeared to be unmoved by her apparently-still-in-the-running suitor's dotting. She shrugged off the offending piece of cloth and stared stonily at the commodore. Norrington coughed slightly, obviously did not expect the open hostility.  
  
After quickly covering his embarrassment, Norrington turned and scowled at him, "*Captain* Jack Sparrow, I must say I had hoped to never see your face again." Jack beamed at him, pleased by the inclusion of his title. "You wound me." In a dramatically fainting _expression, he put his right hand on top of his chest where the heart is, "The feeling 's mutual though, mate."  
  
Norrington gave him a hard shove. He stumbled and were pushed back on his feet with the encouragement of several rifles jabbed at his back. There were ten armed red coats surrounded them. Two soldiers held him still, while another one removed his belt. Norrington counted the items hanged on it with disinterest.  
  
"The compass that doesn't point north, again. A pistol with no bullets *and* no additional shots. Still the same old rusty sword, I am surprised that I can actually pull it out. You are getting worse, *captain*. Life isn't going so merry for you?"  
  
"We all have our ups an' downs." He moved closer and tried to paw his hands back to his possessions. They were slapped away mercilessly.  
  
"Arrest him." Norrington ordered, then turned back to Elizabeth and said in a smoothing voice, "Elizabeth, I will have a cabin prepared for you, if you will just follow..."  
  
// Poor, poor sod, who just couldn't take a hint. // The corner of Jack's mouth quirked up slightly, // why would th' pretty little lassie want wit' a chubby teddy bear when she already has star-twinkled hazel eyes in her possession. Couldn't say much about Norrington tactics neither, but he does get points for persistence. //  
  
Elizabeth flinched away and protested, "You can't lock him away! He has done nothing wrong."  
  
"He is a pirate! That's more than enough reason."  
  
"If I may," Jack intervened, his bounded hands cut between the two. "Everyone in thi' town has been or is currently still a..." They both glared at him icily, he winced and wisely zipped his mouth.  
  
"If you are going to arrest him, you must arrest me as well!"  
  
"Elizabeth..."  
  
"I am a pirate also."  
  
"Elizabeth!" This time it was a command. "That's more than enough of your childish playing. Lieutenant, escort Miss. Swann to the Dauntless. She will be staying in the guest cabin."  
  
They particular had to dragged her away kicking and screaming. As soon as she was out of sight, Norrington grabbed the front of Jack's collar and lifted him up to his eye level. "You! What poisonous thoughts and ideas have you filled her head with!!!"  
  
Jack blinked up at the commodore innocently. "Now, now, mate. It is not me fault th' young lass found th' high sea and me both so irresistible."  
  
"Shut up! I will not have your presence corrupt her any longer." He shook Jack hard and dropped him with crudity. "How would you like a trip down to the local dungeon, captain Sparrow? I've heard it's infested with many other vile creatures like yourself."  
  
"If ye say so. I am not particular interested in findin'g out meself."  
  
"Guards! Take him away."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Gibbs tapped his left feet against the deck impatiently. They should have returned by now, he thought, all the other crews are accounted for. He did not think the captain was delayed by rum or some other jolly company, not when Miss. Elizabeth was with him. The Black Pearl was currently floating inside an triangle crack between two cliffs. She was well hidden, although her view were somewhat limited by the stone walls on both side. His tapping was triggering his own nerves and gained him several dirty looks from Anamarie.  
  
Clouds spread through out and covered every inch of night sky. Not a single ray of moon light penetrated through. Gibbs signed softly toward the starless sky and started pacing. His back was turned and none on board the Pearl saw the small black boat in the distance, sail past the cliffs.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The door shut behind her and locked with a click. Elizabeth scanned the room quickly, nothing has changed since the last time she was here. She checked the window. It was nailed. The pillows and the bed sheet were sewed to the mattress. The blankets was too thick to be ripped apart, and there was no sharp object in sight. She threw open the draws, they were all empty. A pair of slippers and a cotton nightgown were the only things in the closet.  
  
// Damm, they were certainly thorough. // She cursed and sat down on the bed dejectedly. She could see two tall figures stood guarding her door through the glasses. She was truly trapped.  
  
The handle on the door turned. She was instantly alerted. She grabbed the nearest object within reach, which happened to be one of the pink slippers. Walked to the door on tiptoes, she pressed her back against the wall beside the door and raised the slipper above her head.  
  
// I'll hit whoever came in on the head, make a break for it and go warn the Black Pearl. // It was a good plan, she concluded, a good and simple plan. // Jack had always said simple plan works the best. //  
  
The door swing open, she brought the slipper down. A hand grabbed her forearm and twisted her around. Elizabeth was momentary stunned by the unanticipated lightening reflex. Must be all that sword practice, she decided to admit temporary defeat and dropped the slipper. Commodore Norrington sighed exasperatedly.  
  
She snarled at his invasion of her personal space, a temperamental gleam in her eyes. He sighed again, took a step back and put a more respectful distance between them.  
  
The rigid silence stretched.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Elizabeth...," he began, "why are you so angry? Were we not friends the last time we met?"  
  
"You abandoned Port Royal." She was surprised by the calmness in her own reply. Whatever pended up anger and frustration she held towards the commodore and the British navy in general had subsided a great deal since the attack on the Black Pearl. She was still struggling with the concept of sacrificing the few for the need of many. It was foreign to her and she had wanted to stay selfish.  
  
".... I had my orders. I am sorry, Elizabeth." The commodore's voice was ladden with self-directed guilt and grieve.  
  
She averted her gaze, "I know. I am sorry, too."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Cane looked up with mild interest as their boat passed the Dauntless unnoticed. The boy's head was perched in his lap. He stroked the alabaster cheek, a faint newly grown beard cultivated across the area below the strong chin. He let his fingers linger on the boy's chest, and drew meaningless lines on the pale skin with deliberate slowness. A small bead of blood followed the trail his nail left behind, he sighed with rapture at the sensation of the rich texture being parted by force. When he was young, he had fancied himself a sculptor and always had a eye for seeking out beauty. Although nothing he had ever encountered could match the loveliness of the boy before him.  
  
He had wanted to keep the boy for himself. But her harsh command in his ears had lynched that intention. She had told him to leave the boy be, and explained that the youth was nothing, but a small grain of sand compare to the vast treasure and ecstasy she would deliver to him. It would not be wise and beneficial to him to displease her. He rubbed the back of his neck nonchalantly, finger tip brushed against the small mark hidden by a few loosen silver hair. It was his vow to her, a plague of royalty. The mark would burn, send him into white hot flare of agony, but only on occasions where his course of action was frowned upon by her.  
  
// Yes, it would not do to displease her. //  
  
She had came to him in his hours of need, when his world had been plunged into the very bottom of hopelessness, when his work and belief were belittled due to jealous and ignorance. Her soft and husky voice was sweet rhapsody to his ears. She had filled his heart with renewed hope and injected his body with new-fangled strength. She had only asked one thing in return.  
  
*** Your faith. Give me your faith and devote yourself in my service. In return, I shall give you back the free will that was bestowed on and then taken from you, that which was your birth right, the birth right of every human being. That freedom which you had lost to the hardship of life and the scorns of society. I will bring the world down to your feet and alleviate you above its moral values and constraints. None shall touch you, and all shall fear and love your glory, your wisdom. ***  
  
He had believed her to be an angel, an evangelical messenger who had flown down baring his reward from God. He had devoted his life to the good cause, to the protection of God's children, who's only gifts to him were disrespect and alienation. Time and time again, he was used and then disregarded. Was he not worthy of true affection and love? Does he not deserve what she promised and much more? Would happiness still elude him after all that he had sacrificed? And it was too late to turn back now, he thought wistfully.  
  
// My royalty and faith were well received. She has not failed me, not once, and stays true to her words always. //  
  
She had shown him the threat the Black Pearl would post, like a dark shadow lurking above the brightness of his future. She had covered his ship, the Grey Owl in her cap of illusion and allowed them the element of surprise against the pirate ship. She had encouraged him in his research and development of the potion, then revealed the missing puzzle pieces in his scheme. In his dreams, she had allowed him glimpse of the future treachery that Vann would commit against his destiny.  
  
She had also warned him about the redhead. Beware of him, for him and his could be the undoing of all your efforts, she had said. His curiosity was stirred, there were awareness and something very keen to concern in her voice. Was he her adversary? No, it could not be. Not the frightened child who was afraid to lift his head in his presence, who looked younger and more fragile than even the Turner boy. But she had insisted, drown him, drop him into the ocean and you would be easily rid of him. He had obeyed.  
  
// It's only a few more hours to sunrise, I am sure the boy will provide a good show for the crew. //  
  
He laughed cruelly. The boat rocked slightly as its front connected with one of the pillars supporting the dock. Algol was giving out orders in an emotionless tone. The rest of the men busied themselves with their assigned tasks until finally Algol leaned close to him and whispered, "Sir? Where would ye like us to take th' boy?" He frowned in response to the question.  
  
// How dare you come with in such approximation, you insect. You are all nothing but pawns, not even very good ones at that. Once I have accomplished my destiny and the world heard of my voice, I shall cleanse the Caribbean of you and your kind. //  
  
He masked his face into one of courtesy. "Leave the boy in the first convenient place you can find. Make sure he is not restrained and can find his way to wherever in the town. Take care not damage him further. We will leave for the Grey Owl as soon as that is done."  
  
The Black Pearl had not detected their presence when they swam into the bay of La Tortuga, but it would be unwise to take any more chances against the infamous pirate ship, now that they were aware of and prepared for the Brotherhood. Any more surprises he sent their way would serve no useful purpose, and he had no wish to engage the nearby British navy. Discretion and caution were vital since his plan has only left its infancy. As for the destruction of the Black Pearl, it would have to wait. Their paths would inevitably cross again in the days to come.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	10. chapter 9

Upon A Painted Ocean - Part 9  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: Port Royal is infected with a strange disease, Will and Elizabeth enlisted the help of the Black Pearl to go after the stolen medicine. On the way, they encountered old nemesis, crazy priest, mermaid and a demon who is after Jack's soul.  
  
Disclaim: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke. Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. The trick that Jack used, I learned it from Shanghai Noon. Jackie Chan kick ass!!!! ^_^ Please please review!  
  
" " - speech // // - thought *** *** - flashback  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It's nice to know that those strict military training hadn't completely killed off imagination, and that a half-finished sewer tunnel with a few bars can be, in emergency, substituted as a prison cell. Jack had not known that Tortuga had a sewer system, no matter how ill constructed and obviously nonfunctional it was.  
  
// Well, ye learn something new every day. //  
  
It was getting uncomfortably crowded in his current residence. He had shoved one of his cellmates, Mr. half decomposed skeleton, as far to the wall as possible. He would have commented on his hygiene if he thought the man would listen. But there was really nothing he could do about Mr. Rat, Mr. Beetle and Mr. Beetle's relatives who were all happily chewing up what's left of Mr. Skeleton's intestine.  
  
The guards had left as soon as they disposited him inside this dump. He must had not been the only one who found the atmosphere not so agreeable. The air was damp, the ground was mostly wet, and a lone oil lamp on the other side of the bars illuminated the small space. The key and his things were hanging on the hook just outside the cell, and incidentally, just out of his reach.  
  
// So close, yet so far away....... Curses, must my thought always return to that wretched boy, that wretched and lovely boy..... the lovely boy who might be lying on the bottom of the ocean at this very moment. //  
  
He flopped down on the only dry ground inside the cell, hugged his knees and refused to let the shrillness of that thought upset his already weakened stomach. Agitated further by the sudden hopelessness stirred in his heart, he gave a vicious kick to the steel bars in front of him. The bars stood as unyielding as ever without any dent or deformation, and he did not kid himself into thinking they could be uprooted.  
  
Something brushed against his left boot. He looked down through the slip between folded arms, it seemed that Mr. Rat had decided to be sociable. He picked it up by the tail. The rat squirmed and trashed violently, it was a solid weight in his hand. He stared at it sullenly and swing it around like a pendulum.  
  
// Oh, why the hell not. //  
  
He squeezed half of his upper body between the bars and flung the rat against the wall, where the key and his things were located. The rat hit his sword with a dull sound, fall down, bounced a couple of times and rolled out of sight. The sword stayed where it was hooked by the hilt, but the steel and leather holster was lying on the ground. Determined to make the best out of this god forsaken predicament he had gotten into, Jack pulled the holster inside as quiet as possible. He then proceed to search the cell thoroughly, and grinned lopsidedly when he spotted Mr. Skeleton's mostly intact scarf.  
  
// I've heard about this trick, let's see if it actually works. //  
  
He unfastened the long piece of fabric, it was soaked with water, blood, gore and other things Jack did not care to know. He coiled the scarf around two bars, tied it up end to end and inserted the holster into the space in between. Firmly took a hold of both end of the holster, he turned as if it was the steering wheel of the Pearl. The more he turned, the more scarf twisted around the holster, and began to deform the bars to bring them closer. With each rotation, more force was applied until finally the bars gave out and broke with a wailing squeak. He smirked, satisfied, and bend the broken bars outward a little to allow more room. He squeezed his body through, hastily grabbed his things and made up through the stone stairs. He waited with bated breath at the door.  
  
// No guards. The commodore must had hoped for me to rot in that hellhole. Pity, I always disappoint him. //  
  
Sensing the coast was clear, Jack quietly slipped out into the darkness.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
His cheek was pressing against cold stone. His limbs felt boneless. He couldn't remember anything. Where was he? What time was it? Who was he?  
  
// Is this a dream? //  
  
It was freezing. His body shivered uncontrollably, but there was a flame inside of him. Each breath grew more difficult, the flame was consuming him.  
  
"Hey, lad. Are ye alright?" An old and weatherworned voice asked above him, a callused hand gently touched his arm.  
  
He reacted with pure instinct, arms flailed out blindly. "NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!"  
  
// It burnt. //  
  
His skin was redden where the old man touched him, the area around the burn was already bruised and wrinkled from the heat. He burrowed himself into the corner, body curled as small as possible. Face hidden inside folded arms, he rocked back and forth, muttering incoherent words. "What the....??!! I .... I didn't..." There was astonishment and fear in the old man's voice. Unsteady footsteps clapped the ground, quickly began moving in the opposite direction. Then it was gone.  
  
// It burnt. It hurtd so much. //  
  
The flare of pain started to perish, the air around him was already cooling. A soft cough escaped his throat. The flame inside was threaten to burst out, but his body felt as if it was submerged under ice water. Was it possible to be burnt and frozen at the same time, he wondered. He clawed at his own skin, leaving shallow red marks behind.  
  
// No. No. Make it stop. //  
  
His frantically searching hand enclosed around something, a small round object, dangled on a chain which hanged around his neck. He brought the ring before his eyes, the red glow of the ruby eased the heat and the cold, pushed them into the back of his mind. They were not gone, but now they were tolerable. A soothing voice was humming and whispering some foreign incantation in his ears.  
  
// Follow me. //  
  
He pushed himself up on shaky legs. The voice was calling out to him, like an invisible thread leading him. It was the only sign in the midst of this maze of confusion and pain. He followed it.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Jack eyed his boat from the street corner, it was still tied and securited around the dock, exactly where he had left it. There were no patrons in sight.  
  
// The commodore is gettin'g sloppy. The pretty little lassie must be the real thing for him to divert most if not all of his attention to her. Well, I ain't gon'na complain. // Jack reasoned.  
  
The dock was unusually quite this evening. There were only a few drunkards lurking around. He had heard the exciting shouts about the all-on-the-house- rum-drinking event brought on by some recently returned pirates, who had hit the big one and was throwing gold around like sand. Commotion like that was never good, it would be the same as paint 'Gold-Rob Me' on someone's face with red ink. He smirked mirthlessly at the thought of the stupid sod or sods who were about to be gutted soon, but grunted, annoyed at the fact that he would miss the free rum.  
  
He looked left and right, then swaggered towards his boat. In the distance, the Dauntless was lighted up like a Christmas tree against the first ray of sunlight. It looked more like a cruising ship than a battle ship. He watched the flashiness of the small torches with appreciation, those oil and coals could not have been cheap. He thought the ship made a very well decorated and posh cage, especially for a gorgeous little nightingale like Elizabeth. He undid the knot of rope which bind the boat to the pole.  
  
// Farewell, lassie. I am certain the good commodore will take up the task of caring for ye with great enthusiasm. I'll give yer greeting to the lad..... who will no doubt be heartbroken by this.... who is also just stupid enough to do something rush..... like challenge the commodore to a duel? .... and perhaps getting hurt in the process..... or mortally wounded.... or even di..... That's not good. Wait, no Elizabeth means no payment. That's even worse! What in the name of the seven seas am I doing? I can not leave the lass in the clutch of a lusty and dishonorable sea dog. //  
  
After convincing himself that a plan of rescue is in order, Jack retied the boat to the dock and started swaggering in the direction of the Dauntless. He assessed his situation conscientiously. It would be disadvangetous to get the Pearl involved, three against one simply wouldn't be a fair fight.  
  
There was a hiss from the alley to his left. Jack stopped and swirled his body around on guard. Whatever it was, it was veiled by the darkness. He took a tentative step back, the hiss grew louder and closer. Remembered the old saying about curiosity killing the cat, or in this case, the bird, he decided a quick get away would be top priority.  
  
Arms burst out of the shadow with lightening speed, grabbed the front of his tunic and pulled him inside the dark alley. He was slammed against the wall. A familiar voice growled out a single word beside his ear.  
  
"Mine."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"We don't know wha' ye did wit' th' other two." The fat pirate grinned and Zeke was almost blinded by the mouthful of gold teeth. "Bu' who cares, th' more loot for th' rest of us." The more time he spent in the company of such humanity, the more confidence he had in Satan's little apocalypse project, Zeke rolled his eyes and sighed softly.  
  
// I am starting to take after Will, sighing at everything. //  
  
He parted his legs as far as possible on the narrow board to keep balance, the shackles around his feet clapped and the cannon balls almost slipped off the wood. He jumped forward a small step as something pointy was jabbed none too gently into his side.  
  
"Mov'e it!"  
  
The other pirates cheered loudly with cruel jests. Zeke looked down at the sea with disdain, his posture tense. The island of La Tortuga laid peacefully in the distant horizon. The sun was rising and enveloped everything its brilliance touched in a gold and red glow.  
  
// Sea *and* sunrise. What does the Fates have against me? // ".....oh well, I've been through worse."  
  
"Wha' cou'd be worse than walkin'g th' plank?" The fat pirate asked with honest curiosity.  
  
"Jumping from them." // Poor sucker probably doesn't go out much,// Zeke mused sympathetically, // I can relate with that. //  
  
He turned around and put his hands in front of his chest, palms outward. "Now, gentlemen. I am sure we can come to some kind of agreement. There has to be something you want...or wish for? Let's all just sit down, and work out some kind of mutually beneficial pl...."  
  
He was cut off by the sound of a loud splash. Then a force rammed into the bottom of the plank caused it to spring upward. Zeke lost his footing and fell.  
  
// I am going home empty handed. The management is not going to be happy about this. //  
  
The air bubbles were swirling around him like rains of broken glasses. They reflected back the light like crystal balls, basked Zeke in the colors of rainbow. Something was pulling him down.  
  
// Oh, yeah, the cannon balls. At least I didn't panic this time. //  
  
He shut his eyes, the sea water really sting. There was some kind of motion beneath him. He was half hoping it was a shark. At least then he would have a more interesting story to tell; drowning was such a boring way to go. Suddenly, something solid connected with his ankle, and the weight that bind him was gone. He sprinted his body upward, and let the water float him up. His hands almost touched the surface, only to have a sideway jerk pulled him under again.  
  
// Maybe it was a shark. //  
  
Something was pulling him across the bottom of the ship, and pushed him up when the last few inches were closed. His head broke through the surface and he gasped for breath. The pirates were still cheering on the other side of the ship. Now he could feel the arms around his waist, holding him up. He opened his eyes and tried to blink the water out of them. A hard tap on his shoulder, and he turned his attention to his rescuer.  
  
"Miss me?" Tisha said smugly.  
  
"You." His voice was hoarse, the sea water tasted more bitter than salty in his mouth. "How?"  
  
She flapped her tail and began swimming away from the ship. "I flipped around in the barrel and spilled all the water. Then I convinced the guards to take me to the upper deck to get some more.....and then....well, you did say that my scales are very slippery."  
  
// And the guards couldn't have been very smart, // Zeke watched her face broke into a proud grin. // I might have to readjust my opinion of the fish. //  
  
"So what do I get in return?"  
  
"What?" // I definitely should readjust my opinion, she might not be an air head after all.//  
  
"I saved your life and you *are* a wish master. I want something in return for all my trouble."  
  
Zeke wanted to warn her that it's never a good idea to demand rewards from a demon, but he doesn't like her *that* much. "I'll reward you later..."  
  
She cut him off hurriedly, "Do you promise?"  
  
"Across my black little heart, but you have to get me to Tortuga first."  
  
"No, I won't. It's where those bad men are going." Apparently, she also showed evidence of higher brain activity and more survival instinct than an headless ant.  
  
"Yes, and it's also where they are taking Will."  
  
"Tortuga it is."  
  
// Then again, I could be wrong about the brain cell and the survival instinct.//  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Zeke: *smirk* Now what to reward the little fishie?  
  
Me: You can't kill her. She hasn't served all her purpose yet.  
  
Zeke: *pout* just a few cuts and maybe a little roasting...  
  
Me: .....you know what they say, you always hurt the one you love.  
  
Zeke: *outraged* What are you IMPLYING??!!!! 


	11. chapter 10

Upon A Painted Ocean - Part 10  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: Port Royal is infected by a strange disease. Will and Elizabeth enlisted the help of the Black Pearl to go after the stolen medicien. On the way, they encountered an old nemesis, a crazy priest, a mermaid and a demon who is after Jack's soul.  
  
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke. Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. This one is really short, I am really not very good at writing all the kissing and touching and stuff. @_@ And I also have the most nasty infection in my right eye, it's all red and swollen and kept on twitiching. _~ Damn you, stay still!!! Anyway, please R&R!!!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Mine."  
  
Before Jack could comprehend the meaning of that single syllable, his body was slammed into the wall again. Pain exploded from the back of his skull and spread itself into the rest of his body like blood in water. He squeezed his eyes shut as stars flew behind them.  
  
He was still disoriented by the pain when a hard body nudged him further against the wall. He strike out with both hands, only to have them caught and brought above his head. He twisted and thrashed his lower body up in a attempt to throw off his attacker. A knee has inserted itself between his parted tights, right below his crotch. The friction was maddening, and for a moment all his resistance melted.  
  
His eyes snapped open and searched frantically in the darkness. The sun was already rising, but the taller buildings nearby towered over the alley and gave it the protection of shadow. He knew his attacker to be a man, for he did not have the necessary curves of a female form.  
  
But before his sight could adjusted in the pitch blackness, his lips were roughly claimed. The mouth that ravished his was surprisingly soft yet carried almost savage force, coaxing and persistent at the same time. His eyes widen at a sharp nip at his bottom lips, the coppery taste of blood sank into his closed mouth through the slip between his lips. The momentary slacking of his jaws gave access to an intruding tongue. He almost choked as the velvet heat thrust inside mercilessly with a single stoke. He was being devoured. His hands scratched useless at thin air, the other's iron clasps was unmoving around his wrists. He was beginning to grow lightheaded from the lack of oxygen.  
  
One hands pined both of his higher above his head, while the other tore at his tunic impatiently. Strings were snapped and fabric was teared to reveal one shoulder. The mouth left his with a wet pop, leaving trails of saliva down his chin. He gulped down mouthful of precious air and willed his concentration back to the crisis at hand. His attacker was now feasting on the junction between his neck and shoulder. He shuddered and beat down the heat rising in his groin as teeth bit down on his flesh harshly.  
  
"STOP! Stop it! Who ar' ye?! Stop or I swear I'll..."  
  
The other's action weaved slight at his angry yells. Seizing the opportunity, he pushed his body upward and brought his left knee up hard against the other's ribs. In his current position, he could not exert enough force in order to break any bones, but it was enough to unbalance his attacker. The other stumbled back in pain, arms folded around his mid section protectively. Jack pushed him again and punched him on the face. The man fell backward to the entrance of alley, light spilled onto his face and upper body.  
  
Jack drew out his sword and slashed toward his attacker's throat. His hand stopped abruptly in middle swing as the man's face came into the light. In one instant, all his anger liquefied into shock and unadulterated horror at the sight of the pale face. He gasped.  
  
"Will?!"  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
His prey was simply breathtaking.  
  
He looked up at the man from his position on the ground. Ebony eyes shined brightly with disbelieving and fear. The kohl around them was smered and made the twin pools of obsidian appeared even larger against bony cheeks. Pink lips were swollen and bruised, while blood leaked from the cut on the bottom one. Hair tousled and wilder than usual, charms and trinkets sparkled against pure blackness. The shirt was ripped apart through the front, the loosen fabric dangled over and revealed the smooth outline of one shoulder.  
  
The sword slipped from the other's hand, the crystal sound echoed through the alley as it hit the ground. A breathless voice, "Will? What ar' ye.... How did ye get away?"  
  
//Will? Was that his name?//  
  
Does it matter? No, not when what he seek was right in front of him. Not when he has finally found his oasis, his spring, the very being his body and heart craved desperately.  
  
"Will? Say something. Ar' ye all right? Did I hit ye too hard?" Concern was overshadowing the other emotions.  
  
It was a mean punch, he thought nonplussly. He flicked his tongue over the corner of his mouth, licked away the blood. The slightly salty taste only fueled his adrenaline. The other's lips trembled, their fullness an testament to the abuse they received earlier. Those lips were inviting him back, the flame inside him urged him on. He wanted to fork through the unruly strands with his fingers and feel their silkiness against his palm. The coldness was becoming unbearable again, he longed to buried himself in the other's warmth.  
  
// You can NOT refuse me. You are mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. //  
  
He chanted that single word inside his head like a prayer, pushed himself up and stalked towards the other man. Jet eyes widened further, "Will? Wha...." He lunged before the other could finish his question. Limps and arms tangled together as they rolled on the cold ground. He came up on top, straddled the slender hips and placed his hands on either side of that surprised face. Leaned down, he murmured, softer this time.  
  
"Mine."  
  
He let his head dip lower, open mouth trailed down the curve of the neck, and licked the red mark he left with his teeth. He grounded his pelvic hard against the body below him, and was rewarded with a moan. His hand tugged the other's tunic from under a tightly fastened belt, and crawled onto the flesh below the coarse cloth. The other's panting hiccuped. He smiled, sneaky finger tips contining to map the contours and shapes of the hard muscles. He could feel the body below him start to relax and inhaled the beginning of the silent submission through musk scent.  
  
The cold and heat had both left him. In their places was the raving hunger.  
  
// Mine. //  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Zeke liked the sea. Really, he did. It could be so nasty sometimes, especially when it's flipping ships around like cabbage inside a fry pan. He just doesn't like to be IN the sea. He has water in his ears, and every sound around him was accompanied by a constant honing, like those made by bees.  
  
The fish was still talking. It must be nice to have lungs and gills at the same time, you can just alternate between the two and never need to stop to take a breath.  
  
"...then I punched him on the nose..... blahblahblah ...the rail was just to my left.... blahblahblah .....wasn't I smart?"  
  
"Yes, you were." Zeke decided to humor her, he didn't want the fish to loosen her grips.  
  
"Do you think I'll be able to see Will in Tortuga?"  
  
//Oh, for the love of all that is unholy....//  
  
"....why are you asking me? I told you already, he *has* a fiancée." Not to mention the other competition.  
  
"So? The prince in my story had a fiancée."  
  
"Yes, and as I recall, the little mermaid lost to the foreign princess."  
  
"Minor details. When I save Will from those bad men, he'll see I am the right one for him."  
  
// You aren't even physically compatible.// Zeke rolled his eyes, but immediately felt relieved when land came within their reach.  
  
He kicked out his legs to speed up the last couple of meters. He could feel solid ground touching his toes. The sun was high in the eastern sky and the beach was deserted. He could see Tortuga from here, it would just be a few hours of walk.  
  
"So now where is my reward?" Tisha's voice roared arrogantly from behind him. She is propping her body up with one elbow, the other was extending toward him, palm upward. Her green scale sparkled brightly in the morning sun.  
  
"Oh, right. That." Zeke looked around, bend one knee and scooped up a handful of sand from nearby. He pressed the sand between his palms hard, then walked back to her and disposed the contains onto her outstretched hand. The smaller grains slipped away from between her fingers, and left a few larger stones, along with a small white shell in the shape of a new moon. She stared up at him incredulously.  
  
"They are rocks!"  
  
"They are pretty rocks." He patted his hand against his trouser a couple of time, to get ride of the remaining sand.  
  
"But... You *promised*. I am not stupid!!!" Her face was turning more and more green, in the human equivalent of a flush. "I know that wish masters may be demons, but they ALWAYS keep their promises! You have to reward me!"  
  
"I just did. You are the one who didn't specify what kind of reward you want."  
  
"Wha...I...you...you...you evil, insufferable ..... LIAR!!!!!"  
  
"Thank you. I do try my best."  
  
He stretched his arms and popped his shoulder joints a little. The weather was showing promise of being scorching hot. Perfect for a walk, he thought pleasantly and started the trek to Tortuga. Behind him, Tisha was still beating her hands against the sand. Her curses were lost to the whoosh of the wind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Zeke: Jack is on the bottom?  
  
Me: I am not telling.  
  
Zeke: Make sense though, seme are usually taller than uke.  
  
Me: Who ever said I would even let it continue?  
  
Zeke: Let me interrupt it. Jack can't have what he wants! He will be happy, not suicidal!  
  
Me: You are *still* hanging on to that stupid plan? It's never gonna work, you know. Besides you are *hours* away from Tortuga. so unless you've developed some other ability I am not aware of...... you haven't, have you? @_@ 


	12. chapter 11

Upon A Painted Ocean - Part 11  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: Port Royal is infected by a strange disease. Will and Elizabeth enlisted the help of the Black Pearl to go after the stolen medicien. On the way, they encountered an old nemesis, a crazy priest, a mermaid and a demon who is after Jack's soul.  
  
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke. Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. Please don't kill me for not continue with the slash *hide*, the plot need to get going. Anyway, please R&R!!!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
//This is a dream.//  
  
Jack thought feverishly, it has to be. What other explanation was there for the object of his affection, the main cast in his wet dreams and the subject to his nightly worries, to be safe and sound, not to mention lapping his sweaty skin like a man dying of thirst.  
  
Will's hand raked through the dark threads, raised his face to meet Jack's own. The black pupils had expanded within the rich cinnamon orbs. The closer to the pupil, the darker the color was, hazel mingled with tints of green, gold and silver. Those eyes were engulfing him into a warmth without boundaries and entangling him with its undercurrent of desire.  
  
His mind was striving towards the completion which was offered so freely. His rationality and intuition were struggling against this surreal scenario, while his heart and body screamed for total abandonment.  
  
//Just let go.//  
  
Velvet lips crushed over his, they tasted sweet and sour like wine. They were insistent and savage, almost depriving him of all rational thought. He gasped softly against that persistent heat. A hot tongue brushed against the roof of his mouth, once, twice. The third brush was followed by a slight pressure against the back of his teeth. The other mouth sucked hard and stole away the last ounce of air from his lung.  
  
//Let go.//  
  
Will was repeating the same word over and over. The breath caught in his throat at the forceful possessiveness in that single syllabus.  
  
"Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. ....."  
  
He buried his face into the space between neck and shoulder, a few strands of hair tickled his nose. Will had one of his earlobe in his mouth, sucking and nipping on them hungrily. The action was voracious and urgent, like the rising tide of river beating against the walls of a dam.  
  
//Let go.//  
  
He was writhing helplessly beneath the slender body. Will's heartbeat was throbbing loudly against his chest, mirrored his own increasingly rapid pulse. He shifted slightly and brought their body together to a perfect allegiance, from shoulder to calf.  
  
//Yes, let me be yours. And you will be mine.//  
  
Something that felt like cool metal slide out from the front of Will's shirt and made contact with his bare throat. Its weight and density were recognizable even through his feverish mind. Jack immediately knew what it was.  
  
*** Beautiful isn't it. Elizabeth gave it to me.... our engagement ring.***  
  
The significance of the ring and the rashness of his action almost overwhelmed him with helplessness and despair. He choked and pushed desperately against the unyielding shoulders above him.  
  
//No. No. No.//  
  
In response to his renewed resistance, Will sealed their mouths together. Unlike the previous ministrations of vicious taking, this kiss was seductive manipulation and gentle coaxing at the same time. It was laced with a tenderness that nearly melted away his last grip of conscious and sensible reasoning.  
  
//No. Stop. What am I doing?! Please, stop.//  
  
He did not know who the plead was for, Will or himself. He only wanted an outlet, some kind of release to this madness and the whirlwind of emotions.  
  
//Stop. This is... wrong.//  
  
He wanted to wash away the tingling of the blazing kisses and disappear into the hardness of the earth below. He wanted to shoved the youth against the wall and worship every inch of that fair skin with his tongue. He wanted to kiss, to lick, to bite, to claw, to take, to give. He wanted nothing. He wanted everything.  
  
He wanted Will. He wanted everything that was so uniquely Will. He wanted everything Will would give and more. He wanted Will's friendship, Will's devotion, Will's trust, Will's loyalty.  
  
He wanted Will... to love him.  
  
Jack Sparrow was by no mean a celibate or chaste man. He loved pleasure, in all shapes and forms. It had never mattered to him whether his ecstasies was induced by the presence of another body or the numbing effect of the rum.  
  
//But this is Will.//  
  
This was Will, who risked his life and reputation to save him, whose smile brightened his otherwise aimless existence, whose kind words swelled him with happiness and pride. This was illogical. Years of honing his self- preservation skills and cautions were a trifle compare to a few months of vicinity with the youth. His mask of a drunken fool, which life had drilled into him and had kept him alive all this time, would simply evaporate as soon as the blacksmith came within close proximity.  
  
Did Will know that he would offer his heart on a silver plater? Was the youth aware of how his pulse would skip with a single twitch of those rosy lips? Did Will realize that he was Jack's weakness of body and frailty of mind?  
  
//Do you know that you are my home?//  
  
Will was the holder of string to his wild kite.  
  
//Do you know that you are my freedom?//  
  
The freedom that Jack had been chasing for as long as he knew. The freedom that a life of piracy was entitled. The freedom that he thought he had finally discovered in the Black Pearl.  
  
//True freedom means..... to have a place to return to, to have *someone* to return to.//  
  
He shoved the body above him with all the strength he could wield. In an instant, their positions was reversed. He grabbed Will's hands and locked them above his head with unwavering force. He rested his weight on top of the boy and sneered into his face.  
  
"Ye stupid boy! Do ye have *any* idea what ye were doing?"  
  
Dark chocolate eyes were unfocused and confused before they were overtaken by a vivid fever. Something was wrong, he realized too late. Will arched up against him. His eyes closed involuntary at the sensation created when their groins were brushed against each other.  
  
//No, something is wrong. This isn't Will.//  
  
His palms were pressed against hot skin, yet the body beneath him was shivering violently. Will was gulping down mouthful after mouthful of air, while his face had blanched to a sickly shaded of white. He loosened his grip on those thin wrists and gently gathered the trembling boy into his arms.  
  
"Will? Will? Can ye hear me? What's wrong, luv?"  
  
The endearment was out of his mouth before he could stop it, but the boy appeared not to have noticed it. Will was staring blankly ahead and numbing something incoherent. Jack could only catch a few words, cold, heat and burning were among them. He rocked the thin body gently.  
  
"Will? Please....say somethin'g. Come on, mate. Look at me."  
  
Dark eyelashes fluttered against flushed cheeks, until they shut completely. His heart clenched, panic blinded his vision and filled the pit of his stomach with lead. He yanked the motionless body roughly against him and pressed his ear to Will's chest, looking frantically for any sound. There was a pulse, weak but steady. He breathed out a sign of relief.  
  
The shock was wearing off and the bizzareness of his current predicament was taking its tole on his already stressed body. He yawned against the ruffled brown hair, rested his back against the wall, and began to doze off with his precious bundle secured safely against his chest.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Her sleep was troubled and her dream was filled with echoes of some forgotten ballad. But when the first ray of light elevated her from the valley of sleep, she was already half way into composing herself again. The morning sun refreshed her and brought her new hope. Elizabeth stabbed at the omelet on her plate and sulked, it would have been a wonderful morning if not for a certain navy commodore.  
  
Commodore Norrington was almost finished with his speech about the importance of constant vigilance against pirates when the door was pushed open. A young sergeant stepped in and walked straight towards his superior officer without even giving Elizabeth a side way glance. The soldier bent down and whispered something into the commodore's ear.  
  
She watched with mild satisfaction as Norrington's face darken with each word. She had a vague impression that whatever it was, it somehow involved one captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
"How is that possible?!" The commodore hissed, then sent a troubled look in Elizabeth's direction. She kept her face as neutral as possible.  
  
The commodore looked even more scandalized and said menacingly towards the young sergeant, "Send out twenty men, no, make that forty. I don't care what it takes, flip Tortuga upside down if you must. I *want* him found."  
  
Elizabeth felt sorry for the now trembling soldier, the young man was obviously a scapegoat. At the same time, her speculation was also confirmed.  
  
//So Jack has escaped. That was quick.//  
  
The soldier was almost to the door as Norrington continued with the same fuming tone. "I am going to *court martial* the idiots who left him alone. This time, I'll personally make sure he's chained and guarded around the clock"  
  
Elizabeth tried not to snicker. The door shut with a soft creak as the commodore turned back to her.  
  
"Elizabeth, that.... dangerous criminal, Jack Sparrow has escaped."  
  
"......"  
  
"But I assure you that you are in no danger from him, or any of his pirate friend."  
  
"......"  
  
"This is one of the best armed ship in the fleet, I also have two smaller cruisers with me."  
  
"......"  
  
"I don't believe that even the infamous Black Pearl would willingly go up against such odds. There is no need to worry about..... Elizabeth? Are you listening?"  
  
Finally realized that he was the sole participant in this conversation, Norrington signed resignedly. He knelt down beside the chair that she was sitting on and took her hands into his own.  
  
"Elizabeth, I know that things have been hard for you. But I am here now and everything will be as they should. I will take care of you."  
  
She did not know whether to pity the eagerness in that voice or to snarl at that outrageous presumption. Instead she replied in a placidly voice.  
  
"Commodore, need I remind you that I am engaged to another man."  
  
Her heart skipped guilty at the dejected looked in those blue eyes. Had she been too blunt? Perhaps a more subtle approach was required. In truth, the commodore was a good and reliable friend, and had always had her best interest at heart. In the years that he was stationed in Port Royal, she had learned to appreciate his quite affection and looked up to him as an older brother. He was also a great friend to her father, but she could not and would not see him as anything more than that. Her heart belonged to Will.  
  
"Elizabeth, I know that it is not my place to say, but where is your finance now? Where is he when you are in danger? Did he not abandon you to join with the pirates?"  
  
"You are correct, it is *not* your place to say." Her voice has dropped down to a dangerously low level. "I was *never* in danger with the pirates! We were the one who seek them out! And Will did not abandon me!"  
  
"If he had truly loved you, why did he leave you alone?!"  
  
"He was CAPTURED by ruthless murderers when he was *saving* me!!!"  
  
Her breath had quicken and she held her fists rigidly by her side. She had been successfully distracting herself away from the hollow vancancy inside her heart that Will's kidnapping had created. But the commodore's thoughtless accusations were like heavy blows on her already accented nerves.  
  
"You don't know anything! You weren't *there*!"  
  
"Elizabeth.....I....I am..."  
  
Before he could apologize, there was a knock on the door. A few moments later, lieutenant Gillette pushed open the door and walked in. He took in the tense scenery inside the room with a raised eyebrow, but did not comment. He stood straight and said in a clear and business like voice.  
  
"Commodore, there was a urgent message from the navy command. Captain Jackson and Captain Sullvan requested your presence in the meeting room."  
  
Norrington did not look pleased at the interruption, but nonetheless roused himself from his half kneeing position. Elizabeth took a deep breath to calm herself down, and pined her gaze straight at the carpet and nothing else.  
  
"Understood, I'll be on my way."  
  
He looked down at Elizabeth, who was still avoiding his gaze. "Elizabeth, I apologize for my early misstep. I..... trust you will act in a befitting manner in my absence."  
  
Then he turned toward Gillette and said in a commanding tone. "I am entrusting Miss. Swann's safety in your hands, lieutenant." Before the younger man could protest, he was out of the door.  
  
A most uncomfortable silence ensured.  
  
Elizabeth broke the stillness first. "Lieutenant Gillette."  
  
"Miss. Swann." He greeted back.  
  
That was about all the conversation they had for the next two hours.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Me: Update is going to be a little slow from now on, my summer course is starting in a few days and my eye infection still haven't gotten better, now I have to use those totally groose medicine lotion. Not only does it sting like hell, it glued my eye shut. _ Ahhhhhhh~~~~ Damnit it. 


	13. chapter 12

Upon A Painted Ocean - Part 12  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: Port Royal is infected by a strange disease. Will and Elizabeth enlisted the help of the Black Pearl to go after the stolen medicien. On the way, they encountered an old nemesis, a crazy priest, a mermaid and a demon who is after Jack's soul.  
  
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke. Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. Jack is getting SO out of character now. _ Anyway, please R&R!!!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He did not know how long he held the unconscious body in his arms. The sun was high above the alley and the light shined directly into his eyes. He blinked, the sting of the light brought his concentration back to the matter at hand.  
  
Will's temperature had dropped a considerable amount. His forehead was no longer burning hot. Jack wipedb his sleeve carefully over the delicate face. Will's skin was cold and clumsy to the touch, his lips were lush as always but slowly turning a sickly blue. He tightened his hold on the still shivering form, white mist formed around Will's mouth every time he took a breath.  
  
//Now he's freezing. What is going on?//  
  
His finger tips caressed the soft cheek. Sunlight bathed the angelic face in all its radiance, he sighed with amazement at the very personification of innocent and purity the boy presented. His heart was light despite the thought of the inevitable confrontation which lurked at the edge of this peacefulness. He did not want to vacillate or prod too deep on the hows and whys of the situation. Will was safe, not necessary unharmed, but safe and alive. A few hours ago, that was all he could have ever asked for. That fact alone would have convinced him that miracles do exist and some higher deity might indeed be watching over the lots of them. He looked down at Will fondly.  
  
//Now let's just get ye back to the Pearl, and we'll figure out what's wrong with ye.//  
  
Everything is going to be all right now, he whispered into silky hair.  
  
Footsteps and loud cheering echoed through the street just when he was collecting the limp body onto his back. He stopped dead in his track as a handful of drunk sailors, or pirates as everyone is bound to be in this town, marched around the corner and came into view. Lecherous smiles crepe upon the dirty faces as the pirates spotted them.  
  
//This is not good. What else could possibly go wrong now?//  
  
The pirates looked at each other with conspicuous smirks, and immediately came around the ally, blocked the only exit.  
  
//Right, me an' me big mouth.//  
  
The leader of the gang, for he was the largest and the smelliest of the bunch, stepped up and said in a tipsy tone. "Wel', wher' do ye think ye ar' goin'g?"  
  
"I was just leaving, as I am sure ye gentlemen would have some other places to be also." His voice was polite, but there was a brittle undertone which warned that any unwanted advances would be dealt with swiftly and painfully.  
  
"Wha' s th.' hurry, pretti?"  
  
Heavy intoxication obviously restrict the flow of the oxygen into the brain. Jack debated with himself whether or not he should slack off on the rum a little in the future. Then decided that unlike the idiots before him, his intelligence was naturally high, so it would be irrelevant even if the rum did knock it down a few notches.  
  
"As ye can see, my companion is really ill. Ye might want to get out of th' way, it could be contagious." He really did not want to fight right now. Will's safety came first, and he did not like the odds against them.  
  
"Ah, tha' pretti boy ye ar' carrin'g. How about share him wit' th' rest of us." That comment was followed by several crude laughter and leering at his direction. "Or do ye wanna have th' boy all to yeself."  
  
Black eyes narrowed. "It's not about wantin'g to have what ye wanted to have, it's about not wantin'g ye to have what ye wanted to have."  
  
With one hand secured said boy against his chest, he rest the other hand on the hilt of his sword. The leader laughed and extend one hand toward Jack's face. With a flourish swirl of his body, he stepped out of way and brought his sword up. In one smooth arc, the sharp blade sliced off the offending hand at the wrist.  
  
The pirate howled with pain. The others appeared to gain back some sobriety at the sudden turn of event and drew out their respectable weapons. With a few battle cries, they charged.  
  
Jack rammed his fist into the face of the first man, then knocked him aside with the hilt of his sword. He brought his weapon up just in time to parry the attack from the second man. His wrist flicked, twisted the cutlass out of the man's grip and stabbed him through the chest. He fought like a mad man, the group of pirates parted way around him as bodies pilled behind his path. The arm around Will's waist was nicked twice, he gritted his teeth against the sting and pressed the unresponsive body harder against his own.  
  
His sword hacked against another when something was hurled toward his face. He brought his free hand up reflexively to deflect the incoming object. His grip around Will loosened and the boy tumbled toward the ground. His eyes widen, and he bend down to intercept the fall when a vicious kick send him flying.  
  
His head met the wall with solid impact. He bit his tongue at the explosion of pain and willed his eyes to stay open. A few steps away, the leader of the pirates were looming over Will. The man was pressing his bleeding wrist against his side, while the other held a dagger which was coming down toward Will's vulnerable neck.  
  
"Noooo!!!!" He screamed, a blind panic seized his heart.  
  
A second dagger, came out of seemingly nowhere, knocked out the descending weapon with swiftness and precision. A shadowy figure grabbed the back of the pirate and pulled him away from Will. The unknown rescuer then hammered his fist into the other man's stomach, held his neck with the other and snapped. The drunkard fell down like a puppet with its strings cut. With their leader gone, the rest of the pirate abandoned the fight and quickly scattered.  
  
With a few large strides, Jack put himself between Will and the still unknown person. The other stepped calmly into the light.  
  
His shoulders relaxed and he lowered his sword as light glided past the rumpled flame hair, envelope each strands in an orange highlight. He took in the ripped clothes, the bare feet, the cracked lips, the dust covered face and the general grouchiness of the youth before him.  
  
"What happened to ye?"  
  
Zeke did not dignify that with an answer, only grumbled out a few curses and mumbled sentences. Jack grinned toothily as he caught the words: heat, overestimate and human endurance.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The choking stiffness inside the guest room was too much for even Lieutenant Gillette, and he finally agreed to walk Elizabeth to the top deck. She leaned against the rail and breathed in the salty air. The day was still young and the seagulls were crying loudly in the sky above.  
  
The prow of the ship was facing east and Elizabeth dipped her head slight to avoid the direct sunlight. There was something in the water below. The light whiten the foam on the surface of the sea, large bubbles were spurring with alarming speed. She bowed her upper body further out of the rail for a better look. Gillette's voice roared fearfully from behind her.  
  
"Miss. Swann!"  
  
Her toes had left the grounds and her body was dangling dangerously with only her arms supporting against the wooden bars of the rail. There was a shadowy shape ascending from beneath the sea at where the bubbles were.  
  
"Miss. Swann!"  
  
Lieutenant Gillette was almost begging now. She signed, lowered herself and turned around to face him.  
  
"Miss. Swann, *please* restrict yourself from doing such dangerous stunts."  
  
Gillette was obviously not happy to be stuck with the baby-sitting duty. Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders, she didn't liked to be nannied neither.  
  
"Miss. Swann, be so kind to step away from the rail. If you wish to conduct any further extracurricular activity, please do so at your own peril, and not on my watch."  
  
A snappy retort was half way out of her mouth when something whooshed behind her following a large splash. Her eyes widened as she was grabbed from behind and flipped across the rail. The last thing she heard before the coldness of the water stunned her, was Gillette's shout of her name.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The trip back to the Black Pearl was blissfully quite and uneventful. The crews was overjoyed at the return of the three. The captain had carried Will directly into the blacksmith's quarter, and ordered for some water and extra blankets. When Jack came out of the cabin, his _expression was angry and troubled.  
  
Zeke caught the word 'doctor' between the whispering discussion between the captain and Mr. Gibbs. He was wondering how they would ever find a doctor on this pathetic excuse of an island, and even if they did somehow managed to dig one out of some hole, what good would he or she do against the power of the black sorcery.  
  
The crews was tense at the captain's bad mood and none questioned the absence of Miss. Elizabeth. He was hushed aside to have the cuts on his feet dressed.  
  
//This is the last time I will ever overestimate human endurance.//  
  
He had listened absent mindly to the bitching and complements of the men around him. Apparently Anamarie had been filling his shoes for the past couple of days. According to the others, the lady had the most unusual sense of taste, and all inquiries on the edibility of the dishes she prepared, had been silenced by death glares and threats of bodily harm.  
  
They also told him with no small amount of regret, that his roommate, the cabin boy Jess didn't make it out of the last raid on the ship. Zeke's face had remained inscrutable and indifferent. The truth was, he did not know how he was suppose to feel, or was he even suppose to feel anything at all. He only knew that he was somewhat relieved to be finally back onboard the Black Pearl.  
  
He laid lazily on his bunk after Anamarie finally came in to scowled the others away. He didn't want to admit it, but despite all the close calls with the sea and the lack of development in his master plan, this masquerading of a life of piracy had grown to be rather enjoyable. Eyes closed, he let his mind wander.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
HELP!!! More than one people had told me that my summary sucked..in a subtle kind of way. But this is the best I can do..really!!! Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas..please let me know. Thanks ^_^  
  
***  
  
Me: Will's condition might be a little confusing; it will be clarified in later chapters. But I'll explain it right now, this is spoiler!!!!!!  
  
Spoiler!!!!!!  
  
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The potion didn't work as planned because the ruby protected Will. But Will is still slowly dying, and only his true love (Jack) can touch him, anyone else's touch will burn him. 


	14. chapter 13

Upon A Painted Ocean - Part 13  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
This is the new summary, how do you like it ^_^   
  
Archive: I don't mind, but at least have the courtesy to ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke.   
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language.   
  
Me: Tisha is back.  
  
Zeke: Will she ever go away?  
  
Me: Not in the near future, but I've been told that you two make a cute couple.  
  
Zeke: *gag*  
  
Anyway, please R&R!!!!   
  
P.S: If you want faster update, join the PotC slash group on yahoo, I usually post two chapters at a time there.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He sat on the beach and gazed blankly into the ocean while one hand traced cycles on the sand beneath. The little white house in the distance had already stopped burning. In its place stood the ashen remains of the wooden structure.   
  
"Do you ever get tired of the same dream?"  
  
He turned his head towards that sarcastic voice. The other boy was perching on the upturned boat beside him, one leg tugged under a tight while the other dangled freely. Pointy chin rested on both palms and his elbow were supported against one knee. Crimson hair stayed motionless against the gentle wind, a curious smile lifted the pink lips. The boy would have looked normal if not for the slits in the scarlet orbs.  
  
"Ye are later than usual this time."  
  
"Yeah? Why do you say that?"  
  
The boy cocked his head to the side slightly. The gesture was hauntingly familiar, but for the life of him, he could not remember where he'd seen it before.   
  
"Ye are part of my dream. I made ye, ye only come out because I wish for it."  
  
Red eyes darken to the shade of garnet, surprised at the insightful assertion, but recovered quickly.  
  
"You are wrong. But.... what made you think that?"  
  
"Did my mind not conjured ye up?" It was an honest question. "It must have. Ye are my personal tormentor, a reminder of all the sins I have committed."  
  
"What sin would that be?"  
  
Another cock of head. The boy had extracted the bend leg and was swing both back and forth happily.   
  
"The wrong decisions that I made. And my failures.... I.... I failed everyone. Everyone back at the orphange, ...her....... and.....and..... Will."  
  
"Yes, you did." The boy nodded eagerly, his smile widened.  
  
"But ye are here to reprimand me...... so that I won't fail again."  
  
"Is that what you think?" The boy pouted, shoulders dropped slightly. "No wonder this doesn't work as I thought it would."  
  
"What didn't work?"   
  
"Never mind what. If you knew this was a dream, why didn't you just wake up?"  
  
"I can't."  
  
"You can't." The boy was staring at him with the most strange _expression, like he didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. "This is *your* dream. You can do anything."  
  
"I just can't. Ye usually come, say some awful things and wake me up."  
  
"....what?"  
  
"Can you do that now? Do it before *he* comes."  
  
Now the boy looked like he was about to cry.  
  
"You... you are telling me, that *my* torments woke you before the really bad stuff happens."   
  
"Yes, that's what ye are here for, isn't it?"  
  
The boy stared at him with inconceivable horror, before jumped off the boat and stomped both feet furiously against the sand. He stared open mouthed as the redhead began to swear fluently in foreign languages. A few he could recognize, the rest were just mumble jumble to his ears, but he was impressed nonetheless.   
  
Distant footsteps distracted him from the display of childish trauma throwing. His eyes widen, he grabbed the other boy and shook him hard.  
  
"Wake me up! Wake me up! Wake me up!"  
  
During all the jumping, cursing and the general exercise, the black slits had expanded, filling almost the entire eye, leaving only the outer rim in the color of coral red. Now they were peering curiously over his shoulder.   
  
"Him? You are afraid of him? I saw him the first time I was here. He never does anything except talk and talk."  
  
He ignored that comment. His nails dug into clothed shoulders hard in anxiety.   
  
"Wake me up! Wake me up! Damn you, WAKE ME UP!"  
  
The boy said in the same nonchalantly tone, "Well, I guess it does kind of bite to save the same man, who would later murder everyone you cared about."  
  
He considered running, but that had never helped before. The only thing that had been able to spared him of the imminent agony and misery was right in front of him. He gazed imploring at the boy, who was watching the approaching man with pique and disgust.  
  
"This is unacceptable! Why do you fear him, yet are indifferent to me."  
  
A clawed hand thrust into his chest. He looked fixedly down at the gaping wound where the forearm was still inserted, then stared up at the snarling face. The boy tipped his head down and whispered secretly into his ear.  
  
"Kill him and all your nightmares will end."  
  
He coughed, blood spilled from his mouth. He did not understand the brisk instruction. How would he kill something that was immortal and invincible. Furthermore, he did not understand why the boy was providing him with a solution when all he ever gave out before were more riddles and ambiguous replies.  
  
"Why are ye..?"  
  
The boy looked unsure and spoke with gloomy countenance, "I... don't know." Then with a cheerfully singsong tone, "But it will be fun to watch."   
  
The arm was removed abruptly from his chest and he fell. The ground opened up beneath him as he was sinking deeper and deeper into the sand.  
  
His eyes snapped open, the dream was quickly fading away. Unfamiliar ceilings, was his first thought.  
  
//I am in Will's cabin.//  
  
He looked down at the young man's still shivering form with worry. He touched the cold cheek lightly and tugged the blankets closer under the boy's chin. Then he sat back down on the chair beside the bed and hugged the blanket around himself firmly.  
  
//It's goin'g to be all right, Will. I'll protect ye.//  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Darkness loomed endlessly before him. He was lost within this shadowy maze. Each turn only brought him to more dead ends and monsters was hidden in every corner. Pain coursed through his body and he fought his way towards consciousness.  
  
The first thing he saw was Jack's face hovering above him. He almost yelped at the closeness before he felt the warmth of a large hand caressing his forehead softly, reassuring him.  
  
//Where am I?//  
  
He stared despondently ahead, still dazzled from the long sleep. A gentle shake around his shoulder, Jack's eyebrows had drew together tightly due to his lack of reaction.  
  
"Will? Can ye hear me?"  
  
He opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. He tried again. There was only a small squeak, his throat was dry and throbbing painfully.   
  
"It's all right now, mate. Ye are on the Black Pearl. Ye are safe."  
  
A couple of fluffy pillows were inserted between his aching back and the hard mattress. A calloused but gentle hand grasped the back of his head, and a cup was delivered in front of his lips. He gulped down the cool liquid.   
  
"Better?"  
  
He nodded. The last few days were gradually coming back to him. He recalled the attack on the Black Pearl, his imprisonment on the enemy ship, the soothing feeling of Zeke's dagger against his wrist and ..... that crazy priest.  
  
//What happened after that?//  
  
The last clear memory he had was Cane's smirking face and the bitter sweet taste of the potion.  
  
//The potion!//  
  
Images assaulted his mind like swarms of scorpions. He dubbed over at the pain while Jack hastily gathered him up into strong arms. An anxious voice was repeating the same questions over and over, but his mind was already immersed in the flashing of colors and sounds.  
  
He remembered.  
  
Jack's surprised eyes.  
  
The feeling of his palms slide over that sun-kissed skin.  
  
The taste of soft lips, like rum, salt and something so uniquely Jack.  
  
The sweet and warm cavern of Jack's mouth.  
  
The feeling of a hard body shuddering beneath him.  
  
He remembered them all, and most importantly he remembered Jack's struggle, his fierce shouting and the frightened light in those black eyes.  
  
//Oh, god. What have I done!//  
  
His face blanched. He also recalled the heat and the cold, although they were no longer as strong and demanding as they were before.   
  
"Will? Are ye all right? What happened?"  
  
"I don't remember anything!" The answer was blurted out of his mouth without any conscious thought. Jack's kohl rimmed eyes narrowed.  
  
"Ye don't remember anything?"  
  
"I.... I.....it's still all so blurring, but...I....was....eh....knocked out most of the time."  
  
He could not care less about dishonesty now. All he wanted was to scavenge whatever was left of the friendship between him and Jack. Perhaps if Jack believed him to have amnesia, then he would be willing to forgive and forget. Maybe it was too much to hope for, but the iciness of desperation that is slowly spreading through his body, did not allowed him more time to contemplate the situation carefully.  
  
"I... I may not have been myself. I think they did something to me.... some kind of....eh...black magic." He tried again when Jack's inquiring gazes did not stray.  
  
"Is that so?" Jack's voice was rising steadily.  
  
"Ye...yes."  
  
"Ye really don't remember? Nothing at all?"   
  
"N...No."  
  
Their would-be argument was interrupted by soft screeching at the door followed by a knock.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
She woke as the gentle wave of sea was splashed against her face. She was lying on a rock, the lower part of her body was still submerged under the water.   
  
A small ray of light was shining through from the opening on top of what appeared to be a cave. The soft illumination cast a pale cycle of light around her. From the large crack between the stone in front of her, she can see the blurring line which linked sea and sky. The sun was slowly setting.  
  
//Where am I?//  
  
Another splash of water was throw onto her face. She turned her head and was rendered speechless by the sight before her.  
  
A young girl was perching on the stone beside her, only there was fish tail connected the girl from waist down instead of legs. Thick mops of wet hair were pooling down her shoulder as if they were carved out of emerald. Large golden eyes adorned equally golden skin. The greenish half transparent fins on the girl's forearms were glittering with a metallic light.  
  
"What?"   
  
Her vocal cord was refusing to work and she could utter nothing other than that single word.   
  
"So you are Elizabeth Swann."   
  
She blinked at the curiosity and unfriendliness in that statement. The girl.....  
  
//Mermaid. It's a mermaid.//  
  
The mermaid was studying her intently. She shook her head. She didn't remember consuming any alcoholic substance beforehand, and the hardness of the rock below felt too real to be a hallucination.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Zeke told me all about you. I must say I was expecting someone a lot prettier."  
  
The name Zeke had penetrated the thick fog gathered around her brain. She was instantly alerted.   
  
//Zeke? The cook?//  
  
"He said you are Will's fiancé."  
  
Upon hearing the name of her beloved, she immediately sobered up. She pushed herself up and reached out toward the mermaid.  
  
"Will? You know Will? You know where he is? Is he all right? Is he..."  
  
The mermaid wrinkled her nose slightly as she bombed her with questions. Cheeks puffed up angrily, she shouted. "Hey, I am the one asking questions here. You are Elizabeth Swann, are you not. I heard that tall man call you Miss. Swann."  
  
She composed herself and collected her anxious thoughts.  
  
"I am sorry. Yes, I am Elizabeth Swann. What...I mean who are you?"  
  
"Tisha. And you better remember my name, human."  
  
The mermaid was looming over her with an challenging air.  
  
"From now on, we are rivals."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Zeke: Why! Why!!!! *pounding fists against the floor*  
  
Me: You really are not very good at this whole torturing and driving people crazy thing. Remember what happened with the pharaoh?  
  
Zeke: *Don't* remind me.  
  
Me: Well, I am thinking about doing a little flashback next chapter.  
  
Zeke: You are just doing that to spit me, aren't you!  
  
Me: Actually, No. I tought your personality could use a little substance.  
  
Tisha: *Poped up* He's got a personality?  
  
Zeke: You are one to talk! Why won't both of you just die!!!!!  
  
Thanks again for all of you who reviewed. You supports and encouragements are what's keeping me going. *bow*  
  
^_^ 


	15. chapter 14

Upon A Painted Ocean - Part 14  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive: As long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke.   
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language.   
  
Me: Jack is jealous, it's really out of character for him.  
  
Zeke: Stupid human!  
  
Me: He's pissed that you like the boy.  
  
Zeke: What?! I am not allowed to have friends.  
  
Me: Just don't get in the way.  
  
Zeke: It's my job to get in the way!!!   
  
Anyway, please R&R!!!!   
  
" " speech  
  
// // thought  
  
*** *** memory/flashback  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He could feel the repulsion in the air before he even opened the door. Ever since he became aware of the nearness of that accursed stone, its affect had increased tenfold. Every time he went within ten feet of the ruby, or more precisely, the one who carried the ring, his palm would sweat and his mouth would turn desert dry. A chilliness would spread from the back of his spine all the way to his toes. His body would involuntary freeze and it always took a minute or two for him to feel his limbs again.  
  
Zeke doesn't like the chilliness. Cold he could deal with, coldness usually tranquilized the flesh and blocked out most feelings. Chilliness on the other hand, was like needles, probing deep and always there. It reminded him of the dark and damp tomb that he spent the majority of his life in.   
  
//This is ridiculous. You are only cold because you think you are cold.//  
  
He took a deep breath, balanced the tray in one hand and knocked the door with the other. The heated voices inside stopped abruptly. A few moments later, a tired and deep voice responded.  
  
"What is it?"   
  
Impatience reeked from the captain's tone, he obviously wanted to get ride of whomever it was quickly. //Trouble in paradise?// Zeke thought with amusement.  
  
"It's Zeke, sir. I brought Will something to eat."  
  
The door creaked opened. Jack's wary face appeared, dark cycles under sunken eyes that glowered sullenly.   
  
"Come in."  
  
//He doesn't look so good.// On a second thought, gleefully, //maybe he's finally cracking, dying even.//  
  
He took one step inside first, readied himself against the soft humming of resistance, and walked in. Will was half sitting and half lying on the very far side of the bed. The magic of the ruby left a white mist invisible to human eye, but Zeke could see them clearly. Even with the flow of the force wrapped around his form protectively, Will's face was still white as the sheet.   
  
//My mistake. The boy is the one dying.//  
  
"I brought you some bread, Will, and broth.... to wash them down." Will gave him a slight node in gratitude, even that small movement seemed to take him a great deal of effort. The captain's hot glares were directed at the back of his head.   
  
Its message loud and clear: you are done, now scram.   
  
In response, Zeke put the tray on the night stand and sat down on the edge of the bed. He was still mad about the mess with the dream sequels.   
  
"You all right there, Will? Need a hand with anythin'g?"   
  
The glares were turning venomous and boring holes in his back now. He bit down on his bottom lip to prevent it from curving up.  
  
"Ezekiel..."   
  
//Wow, full name. Human are so easily agitated.//   
  
"...get out of her' an' go work in yer kitchen or som..."  
  
"Zeke, can you stay for a while?"  
  
"What?" Two voices resonated in the small cabin at the same time. Zeke cocked his head to the side in puzzlement while Jack looked almost crestfallen, hurt and disbelieving written all over his face.  
  
"I want to talk to Zeke about something." The sentences came out smooth and fluent despite the pain recoiled inside the trembling form. "Jack, go get some sleep. You look horrible."   
  
Jack's gaze traced back and forth between Zeke and Will, as if expecting some big conspiracy. Questioning eyes finally rested on Will, who stared back evenly. Zeke could taste the electrical sparks flying in the air. He was beginning to regret staying, being caught in the cross fire hadn't been his intention.   
  
//It just figures. I swear, EVERY TIME. That wasn't even evil or anything.//  
  
The staring contest stretched on. Zeke swallowed at the nerve wrecking silence. Finally, Jack gave in.   
  
"Fine. I'll just be in th' room down th' hall. .....if ye need anything, just call me, savvy?"   
  
Zeke felt a slight tug at the back of his neck as the captain lifted his head up rather forcibly, "Don't ye tire him."   
  
It was more of a threat than a order. He nodded his head rapidly, the most innocent smile he could muster, was planted firmly in place.  
  
Apparently satisfied but with great reluctance, the captain let go of his neck and swaggered toward the door. With one last lingering glance, Jack shut the door quietly behind him. The two occupants still left in the room both breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. The pirate captain could be so very stubborn and pigheaded sometimes.  
  
"Eh... if you don't like the food, I can bring you something else." Zeke stated uneasily. He hadn't exchanged a single word with the Blacksmith since their reunion, but Will was unconscious.   
  
Will's eyes were down cast, and his hands were fumbling mindlessly with the bed sheet. Zeke had to lean closer to catch the next sentence.   
  
"Have...have you told Jack about what happened?"  
  
"No.... I haven't got the chance. The captain was with you the whole time." Will's face raised up at that statement, the corner of his mouth softened.   
  
"I see. Then there is a favor I must ask of you.... it's personal."  
  
".....sure, Will. ....as long as it's within my power."   
  
//And I'll probably have to do it for free, it's not like I can hurt you, not with that damned rock still hanging around your neck. Damn...//   
  
His spirit dropped despite the prospect of obtaining possible future blackmailing material. He was not a big fan of voluntary work.  
  
"Can you....not tell Jack about what happened with Cane...and the potion?"  
  
".... he will want to know why you are sick?"  
  
"I am not sick! It's... it's only temporary."  
  
"Which part, the potion or the true love." It wasn't a question, Zeke was curious to see how far human's self-denial can go.  
  
"You heard that?"  
  
He quirked up one eyebrow, for some reason, Will's weary _expression was getting.... strangely nagging to watch. It was weird. He didn't think that dull shade of brown suited those doe eyes too well.  
  
"Of course you heard it. But it was nothing, what Cane said. Really! I am a man... I mean.... I like Jack, he's my best friend. I look up to him and .... I have a fiancé..... and...." Zeke could literally see Will wracking his brain inside and out looking for more plausible excuses, until finally he almost shouted. "I don't love Jack!"  
  
"....I didn't say it was the captain."  
  
"......"  
  
"......"  
  
"...I.... I love Elizabeth." The retort was weak and feeble.  
  
"......"  
  
"......"  
  
"Yeah? ....I don't think you really love Miss. Elizabeth. I think perhaps.... you love what she represented." A loud shriek, a warning sign was emanating from the back of his mind.   
  
//Why am I having this conversation?//  
  
A pair of hand suddenly clapped around his tightly. He almost flinched at the unexpected heat. Will's breath was disheveled, each suction and exhalation of air came with uneven strand; he could see the skin began to smoke and redden at where their hands were joined.  
  
"Jack must NOT know. Promise me that you won't tell anyone, especially him about... any of this!!"  
  
"Will, your hands are burning."  
  
"PROMISE ME!"  
  
"I don't think the captain would be too happy to see you hurt again."  
  
"...... please?"  
  
"Will, I..."  
  
"....please..."  
  
"...fine. I promise."  
  
"Thank you." The injured hands fell down onto the blacksmith's lap lifelessly.   
  
"...they look bad. I am going to get some water and lotion, stay here and... don't do anything else with them." He turned and all but fled from the scene.   
  
The door closed with a soft click, cut him off from Will's soft sniffs of pain and the constant pressure of the ruby. Wind carried a cool breeze through the round windows lined up on the other side of the hallway. The pounding in his chest was subsiding and his head was finally clearing up.  
  
//What did I just do?//   
  
As realization hit him like a two ton elephant, he froze, horrified.   
  
//Was I... genuinely concerned about the boy?! This isn't happening. .....shit, Ursella was right. Stay with those monkeys for too long, and you will be domesticated!//   
  
//No, it was the ruby. It MUST be the ruby. Stupid Rock!!// He balled his hands into fists, stalked toward the open deck, and determined to find something to torture and kill.   
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Jack found Zeke working in the kitchen. The cook was chopping the heads off a basket of fishes with such force, that every down ward thrust of the knife left a clear dent on the wooden board beneath.  
  
He stood just outside of biting range and cleared his throat to get the cook's attention. Grey eyes raised to meet his own, the chopping sound continued.   
  
"Captain, what can I do for you?" *Chop, Chop* Another head rolled onto the floor.  
  
"Ye are gon'na clean that, aren't ye?"   
  
Jack motioned towards the floor, where a small stack of decapitated fish heads was. He was trying to light up the mood, the atmosphere inside the small room reminded him of the night before his neck was about to get intimately acquitted with a certain noose.  
  
The downward motion of the knife seized. Zeke's cheek twitched and he grinned at Jack sheepishly. Jack could have swore the cook's fingers tightened on the handle of the knife, he had the certain urge to duck.   
  
"Of course, sir. Is that all, sir?" The last word was spit out like an insult while the cook maintained a flawless polite face.  
  
//What did I do?//  
  
"Nay, I am here to talk to ye about th' lad." He watched with mild interest at the utter lack of  
  
reaction from the redhead.   
  
"Will? What about him, sir?"   
  
Jealousy had hurled its way into his chest at the, in Jack's opinion, way too familiar way the cook uttered the Blacksmith's given name. An irrational sense of loss and insecurity were manifesting beneath the acidic coating of paranoia. He steeled himself against this childish... whatever it was.  
  
//They ar' just friends.//  
  
"What happened on th' Grey Owl?"  
  
"I don't really remember much, sir. I was knocked out."   
  
Zeke's face was the perfect poster of angelic innocent. Jack was slightly astonished at the fact that he could see through that faultless facade with such clarity.  
  
"Is tha' so?" He moved closer now that the younger man had put away the knife, and he was in no immediate danger of being used as a target pole.   
  
He grabbed the front of the cook's collar, hailed him bodily onto the table. Fish guts spluttered everywhere, Zeke braced both his elbows against the slippery surface of the table. His head tilted back slightly as Jack held his dagger against the cook's throat. Zeke blinked at the sudden attack owlishly, eyebrows climbed almost into his hairline. Jack sneered at the underlining amusement shining in those dusky orbs.   
  
//What th' hell is so funny?!//  
  
"Ezekiel, be a good boy an' tell th' truth. Th' suspense is irratin'g th' pants off of me, an' me hand  
  
might slip."  
  
The cook did not gibber in terror and fear, as he had planned. Instead the piercing gaze was unmoving, he pressed the edge of the dagger closer against the pale skin.   
  
"I promised Will that I wouldn't say anything." He paused at the blunt confession. He had been expecting more lies, not almost brute honesty.  
  
"Ye...promised?! About what?!!"  
  
"About things I can't say." The amusement had darken to an almost devious glitter, then vanished all together to be replaced by passiveness. "I really can't say, sir. You can slip my throat now, but a promise is a promise."  
  
There was an unquestionable and cement finality in the soft voice. He sighed with resignation and let go of the cook. Suspicion had engulfed his heart with dread and dismay.  
  
//How bad was it?//  
  
"Fine. Do ye at least have any idea what's wrong wit' th' lad?"  
  
".... Not a clue, sir. He might be dying though."  
  
"WHAT!?" Jack's voice thundered, he grabbed Zeke's shoulders and shook him hard. "Why? Why did ye say that?"  
  
That mischievous grin was back, Jack wanted to punch that pretty face and wipe it empty of all expressions. He gritted his teeth; he might just do that.   
  
"He doesn't look so good."  
  
"Ye dimwit! Lookin'g unhealthy does NOT equal impending death. STOP saying moronic things like that. Ye will jinx him!" He continued to shake the cook, whose head was rolling back and forth with each motion of his hands like a ragged doll.   
  
"..... just speculating, sir. But the priest might know."   
  
"What priest?" He stopped the shaking and brought the cook's face closer.   
  
"The priest..... Will said his name was Cane. He was the boss onboard the Grey Owl..... really creepy character he was, raving something about freedom and true love."  
  
//Cane. That's the name of the preacher Elizabeth mentioned. Freedom and true love, what does that have to do with Will's condition?//  
  
"...really suspiciously mannered, too. He kept on asking about Will's....eh.... relationships."  
  
//Relationship? ....true love.... Of course, it's Elizabeth. If this is indeed some witchcraft at work, then Will might be cured when he reunite with his bonny lass.//   
  
What about you? His subconsciousness asked. Wasn't your love true enough? Couldn't your affection cure him?   
  
Couldn't Will have loved....you? Does he not perhaps love you...already? What about the kisses, the touches, and that possessive declaration?   
  
*** Mine.***  
  
//They were nothing. They meant nothing. The lad was feverish and delirious, he just launched onto the first familiar face. It was my fault for taking advantage of his vulnerability, his trust....//  
  
"Did th' priest...or Will say anythin'g else?"  
  
//Let's face it, mate. Northin'g this good ever happen to ye, and even if it does, it never last long.//  
  
"Will was confident that you'd come to rescue us.... I did remind him of the code, but he was really optimistic about it."  
  
A pang at his chest, a sharp twist of pain. Elizabeth's furious voice rang in his ears.  
  
*** What do you mean we are not going after them?!***   
  
"....yes, ye should have." He sheathed the dagger, turned to walk toward the exit, and paused at the door. "Oh, an' Zeke, I know that people can form extraordinary bonds when they survived some crisis together. That's still no reason to b' all over th' other one."  
  
At Zeke's blank face, he added, "Keep yer distance from th' lad, he already has a fiance."   
  
The door closed. He stumbled into the salty air of the open sea. The seductive caressing of the wind slide across every pore and helped reassemble his thoughts into a more organized pattern. Now was not the time for useless sentimentally, he took a deep breath. There were rescue plan to be devised and future havoc to be plotted.   
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Zeke gaped at the door. The captain's last statement still fresh in his mind.  
  
//Human stupidity really has no boundaries.//  
  
He sneered indignantly and grindered his foot into the floor on top of several fish heads, imagine them to be a certain pirate captain's face. He grunted internally at the nerve of the man, to even suggest that he might develop any sort of attachment.... to a human no less. It was really plainly obvious which way the Blacksmith's desires lay. Zeke had detected the undercurrent of sexual tension between the youth and the rogue pirate the moment their eyes met.   
  
//All that repressed emotion could be really hazardous to one's health, which does explain why their life span is so short.//  
  
His thoughts turned to Jack's pained _expression when Zeke had told him about Will's faith in him. The comment had been deliberately exaggerated of course, but the storm of torment in those ebony eyes had cooled down his rising temper.   
  
//Is this what love does?//  
  
There was the faint echo of a memory, simmering deep below his subconscious. A pair of amber eyes flashed through his mind, a youthful face that had been burdened with worries beyond his years, an arrogant curve of lips.   
  
***   
  
Love? Love.... makes all four seasons feel like winter.  
  
Does it? ....actually, I meant the physical pleasure, but..... I thought love was what everyone wants.   
  
Blue sapphires sparkled brightly on the golden cobra headdress.  
  
Does that mean you don't want your advisor's beautiful wife to warm your bed? Fine, something else then.   
  
A soft chuckle.  
  
You are truly terrible at this.  
  
You are not the first one to say that and probably won't be the last.   
  
Sandled feet paced against stone floor, the sound echoed through the spacious room.  
  
Come now, there has to be something you want but can't get.  
  
I want.... you to stay.   
  
Ruby eyes rolled exasperately.  
  
I can't stay if you don't make a real wish. That would defy the whole purpose of my presence here. You are the one who summoned me, make up your mind.  
  
A sad sigh.  
  
.....how about.... wonders?  
  
Wonders?  
  
Yes, show me wonders that I have never laid eyes upon.  
  
***  
  
His composure fluttered slightly against the spurring images. Was that what the young king had referred to? Does love mean pain, to hurt and then be hurt in return.   
  
//I had no idea humans have so much masochism tendencies? What is the point in all of this?//   
  
He picked up the knife and stared at it pensively.  
  
//Perhaps... if Jack continues to believe that Will doesn't love him, he will abandon all hope. .....not likely. Damnit, why did I ever take this assignment in the first place.//  
  
He threw the knife viciously hard against the basket. With a whoosh, the tip of the knife embedded into the eyeball of one of the fishes.   
  
//....I want to go home. Granted, it had been fun.....and quitting would be a very hard habit to  
  
break.//  
  
He gripped the hilt of the knife with white knuckles.  
  
//....there's still Cane. I knew I've sense the same brand somewhere else before.//  
  
He sighed and went back to behead the rest of the fishes with newly acquired determination and more savage force than before.  
  
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Please Review!!!! All kinds of feedbacks are welcome, they will make the next chapter come out faster.  
  
^_~ 


	16. chapter 15

Upon A Painted Ocean - 15  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive:   
  
As long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer:   
  
Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke.   
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning:   
  
Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. Zeke is saying a lot of Jack's lines in this one. _ Anyway, please R&R!!!!   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The mermaid really wasn't too bad, Elizabeth thought, rather chatty too. Tisha had vivaciously recited the charismatic personalities traits and heroic deeds of her fiancae with vivid details. She watched the mermaid play out the scene where Will rescued her from the barrel with extravagant melodrama. Despite the mostly, if not all fabricated nature of the story, the performance was rather arresting.   
  
Instead of feeling threatened by her self-proclaimed rival in love, she was intrigued by the creature in front of her. To Elizabeth, Tisha was the embodiment of all the fantasy tales she read as a child and the urban legends of the sailors. The need for adventure inside her blood was boiling, pushing aside all other thoughts, even those of her beloved Will temporally aside.   
  
She rubbed her face vigorously and withdrew her legs closer on top of the rock. The nightgown she had on was almost dried by the crispy air. The salt in the water had crystallized and cemented uncomfortably in her hair, on her skin and other places she cared not to mention.   
  
The sun had set a little while ago and it was getting harder to see. The only illumination was provided as Tisha's aquamarine scales reflected off the moonlight and basked the inside of the cave with a gentle glow.  
  
"Are you even listening to me?!"  
  
Tisha's annoyed voice was starting to steam up. She smiled sheepishly as she was caught daydreaming. At the temperamental gleam in the mermaid's eyes, she hastily rewinded the last couple of minutes and felt her eyebrows furrowed automatically.  
  
"A swimming contest?"  
  
"That's right. I officially challenge you to this race."  
  
"But..... a swimming contest?"  
  
"Hey! Don't you even *think* about insulting this sacred and ancient ritual of my people!"  
  
Mermaids really were fascinating creatures, She analyzed. Although she was beginning to doubt whether she should regard this particular mermaid as a accurate and valid representative of said race.   
  
In a carefully controlled voice, she asked, 'That would be unfair, wouldn't it? You are a fish."  
  
"Half fish! I am only half fish, and I resent you for saying so. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you don't have a tail."  
  
She decided it was not a good idea to steer the conversation towards racial differences. She cleared her throat and said in a soothing tone.  
  
"My apologizes. I did not mean to insult you."  
  
Tisha had turned her face away and refused to meet her eyes. She had the sudden vision of trying to soothe a ten years old whose favorite teddy bear had been taken away. The age difference could not have been too great, even though she knew nothing about mermaid physique. She had been able to pull off that angry pouting look a few years ago, it had always won her whatever her whines desired, especially from Will. She smiled fondly at the memory of a ten year old Will.  
  
"You are all the same. You are just like that...that.... stupid wish..."  
  
She looked up quizzically at the unfinished sentence. Tisha had one hand over her mouth and a horrified _expression on her face.  
  
"Wish? Wish...what?"  
  
"Nothing. A slip of tongue." Tisha squeaked.  
  
A few moment of silence followed. Tisha had a strangely vacant look on her face, like somehow she had retracted back into some kind of shell like a snail.   
  
Elizabeth wanted to investigate further, but reminded herself there were other more pressing matters. Matters such as the whereabouts of her fiancÃ©, but she was certain that with Will in Tortuga and Jack on the loose, they would eventually run into each other. They always did, like the opposite ends of a magnet, forever pulled towards one another and impossibly hard to pry apart once they met.   
  
She chuckled at her own metaphor, but those facts comforted her. She had always suspected that Will had a slight case of hero worshipping, which he would no doubt never admit it. Jack was an old friend of Will's father, and the younger man had always looked up to him. For the majority of their journey, Will had followed Jack around like a puppy dog, hanging around to the flamboyant pirate's every words and had hardly spared any extra attention to her. If Will had not been engaged to her, she would have wondered about the relationship between the two men.  
  
//Well, he does have the blood of a pirate in him, and I guess Jack is the closest that Will can ever get to know his own father.//  
  
Elizabeth glanced at Tisha from the corner of her eyes. The mermaid's information was most well timed and welcoming since she was almost crazed with worry. She was also glad for the distraction that Tisha provided. She had spent over a week on a ship full of pirates. Not to be insulting, but they were not exactly the best conversationalists, even when they managed to remain sober for any duration of time. Furthermore, in her opinion, rum, women and comparison of the size of a certain anatomy part were not the best topics for cultured, or even idle talk.   
  
"What exactly is the race for?" She asked, attempting to draw Tisha back into the conversation.  
  
"You *haven't* been listening to me!" Tisha fumed, "It's for Will's love!"  
  
"Ah... I see."  
  
"No, you don't see. You think I am a kid, don't you! I am *hundreds* of year older than you."  
  
"You are very well preserved."  
  
"Really? Thank you, I mean I did spend a lot of time..... Hey! Don' change the subject!"  
  
Well, that didn't work very well, Elizabeth signed. She knew her confidence in Will sometimes boardlined on arrogant assumption. But Will had never even glanced at another girl and she had always been the only object of his undivided affection. She still found it hard to believe sometimes that the awkward boy she first saw on the floating board grew into such a handsome and noble man. Even more miraculous, that man loved her and would devote the rest of his life to her.   
  
"Does Will love you?" She asked Tisha.  
  
"Err.... I.... don't know, but I am going to find out."  
  
"Then I assumed he didn't know you were challenging his fiancÃ©."  
  
"I....I was getting to that." said Tisha defensively.   
  
"But Will loves me... didn't Zeke tell you?"   
  
She hadn't meant to exhibite her superiority in the matter, but she didn't want the mermaid to have any illusions neither. No matter how confident she was, Tisha was very beautiful and a potential competition. Still she couldn't help but chide herself slightly at the ludicrous idea.  
  
"Zeke? That....that..... despicable liar. His words are not to be trusted."  
  
Elizabeth speculated a unpleasant history behind that accusation, but decided to put the question off for later. Her next statement was used to convince Tisha as well as herself.   
  
"But if you truly love someone, wouldn't you want that person to be happy, even if that happiness is not obtained with you?"  
  
"I....don't know." Tisha hesitated, then said in a determined voice. "And if Will does love someone else....me for example. Would you be so self-sacrificing and let him goes?"  
  
Elizabeth didn't know what to say. She didn't think that scenario would ever happen, but she had grown from that naive and sheltered girl, and the pursuit for the stolen medicine had been giving her a bad vibe from the very start. This discussion was also quickly getting out of her hands.   
  
"I....I would....let him go."  
  
That was a lie. Elizabeth knew it and she thought that the mermaid must know it as well.   
  
"Then we are simply different. Happiness is something you have to fight for, to be loved is a luxury."  
  
Luxury? Elizabeth could not wrap her logic around that concept. Was it a luxury to be loved by Will? People always said that one only realizes something was precious when that something was lost. She did not want to test the truthfulness in that theory and hoped that she never would.  
  
"And don't think I'll let you off the hook, I am still challenging you to a race. We are going to swimming from here to that ugly ship with the black fans, the first one there wins!"  
  
"Wait, ship with the black fans! It's still around here?"  
  
Tisha nodded. Bless good old Mr. Gibbs, she sent a silent thanks to whatever god was listening. She was concerned with the possibility that the Black Pearl might have bailed out, but the crews had proven to be a royal punch.   
  
"Tell me where the ship is."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The Dauntless was guarded by a predictably small number of soldiers. His plan was simple and it had worked beautifully. He had send a small group of men to the town and started a brawl. In his experience, it wouldn't be difficult to initiate a fight. The streets of Tortuga were prowled with men and women who were just edging for a good quarrel. And by the black smoke raising from the distant, the brawl had grown to a exceedingly severe magnitude.   
  
He had also ordered one of the men to be disguised as him, which had guaranteed to lure the commodore away. Even more fortunately for him, the commodore had taken most of the soldiers from all three ships with him.   
  
He was slightly touched by Norrington's display of obvious loathing and sturdy resolution. He hadn't known that he was held in such high regard by the most notorious pirate-hater in the Caribbean. It was very flattering.   
  
Using the same trick with the boat that he had taught Will, his men had sneaked on board undetected. One by one, the guards posted on the upper deck were snipped off. That only left the bridge and the lower decks, which he had isolated from the rest of the ship with the help of a few steel bars and sand bags.   
  
He crouched beneath the wind sail of the bridge. There were only a few voices inside. One he recognized, a lieutenant named Gilley?....Gilte?....Gill something. He motioned his men to surround the exits and windows.  
  
He pulled one men close and whispered. "Go find th' lass. Search th' the most posh rooms."   
  
The man nodded and made a couple of gestures to bid a few others to follow him. Jack drew his pistol and held it firmly in his hand. Then he stood up and kicked open the door.  
  
"Gentlemen! Pardon my intrusion."  
  
The rest of his men followed inside. The red coats were gaping at him stupidly and the young lieutenant was blinking owlishly.  
  
He continued. "It's time for my daily massacre. So be so kind to drop yer weapons and throw yerselves overboard."  
  
No one moved. Jack lowered his pistol, shook his head and punched the nearest soldier on the nose. The bridge of the Dauntless erupted into chaos. His men leaped from behind him and joined the fight.   
  
He dodged a sword swing aimed at his head, rolled out of the way of a incoming feet and delivered a sharp kick against the offending leg. He smirked as he heard the sound of bone breaking.   
  
Another man came up from his left, he brought his sword up to deflect the blow. It was the young lieutenant. He flicked his blade in a twisting motion around the other sword and pushed the younger man aggressively towards the wall. Their blades were locked and he pressed the sharp edge of his sword lightly against the other man's throat.   
  
"Surrender." He warned in a plaintive tone.   
  
A spit and a hard shove were his replies. He rolled his eyes and brought his knee up hard against the other man's shin. He grinned in triumph as the other man's eyes watered and almost bugged out. The clamoring rhythm of clashing blades was dying down around him. He surveyed the victory with a quick glance around. The men he sent out to find Elizabeth had also returned. They stepped up and said.  
  
"We couldn't find her, captain. She is not in th' captain's quarter or any of th' other fancy cabins. Shall we check th' lower decks?"  
  
He jerked his head slightly in negative and directed his attention back to the man he still had pined against the wall.  
  
"Now, tell me where ye lots placed the lass."  
  
The navy lieutenant was showing an uncharacteristic amount of backbone and baldness. Jack grimaced at the stubborn set of jaws and the scorching glare. He smacked the man across the face, pulled out his pistol from his belt and pointed it at the other man's crotch.   
  
"Shall we try again? Where is th' lass?"  
  
The young lieutenant winced, his _expression was conflicted. Jack smiled and pressed the steel barrel harder against the front of the man's trouser.   
  
"Stop! Stop! We lost her. She fall in the water and we couldn't find her."   
  
The sentences were blurted out in one breath, and the other man's face had turned into a unhealthy shade of purple. Jack pondered the new information, careful not to jump to any conclusions.   
  
//In the water. Lost..... she better not be dead!//  
  
The whereabouts and wellness of the lass had a direct impact on Will's survival. If anything happened to her...... He did not finish that thought and clamped down firmly on his wayward imagination.   
  
An urgent voice said behind him, "Captain, we've disabled the oars on the other two ships, but there are signs of movement on their decks!"  
  
He sneered and slammed the man in front of him against the wall with frustration. The young lieutenant had adopted a pained and sour look. He decided that he wouldn't be getting anything else from the man. With a heavy strike against the side of face, he sent the younger man into unconscious.  
  
"Bound the rest of lots an' gag them. It's time to go!" He ordered.  
  
The men obeyed instantly and set out to work. After the last sock was stuffed into the mouth of a struggling captive, they slipped quietly out of the room.   
  
Jack paused as he passed the helm of the ship. He stroked the braids in his beard and eyed the steering wheel calculatedly.  
  
//This... would make a wonderful souvenir.//  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"You are NOT Jack Sparrow!" Norrington's furious voice roared.  
  
//No shit, and thank devil for that.//  
  
"Captain. It's captain Jack Sparrow."  
  
Zeke corrected in his best-drunk voice and bowed with a flourish wave of hand, imitating said captain. His posture infuriated the commodore further and earned him a vertical hack. He jumped backward, flipped in middle air with a flawless somersault and landed smoothly on top of the counter.   
  
Norrington's advances did not pause. He leapt up and narrowly avoided being slashed on the feet. Glasses were crushed noisily beneath his boots. His movements sent more bottles to the ground, rums and other alcohols splashed the floor.   
  
He hurled his body sideways and off the counter. A flare of downward air tricked the hair on the back of his neck. He swirled around and lifted his arm up just in time to block another hack.   
  
The commodore had excellent swordsmanship and Zeke was finding it more and more laborious to parry the tenacious attacks, much less counter them. He was lamenting over the lost opportunities to learn fighting techniques when he was young. It just didn't pay to snooze in class when all the other good little demons were paying attention.   
  
//Damn, you never know you need it until you need it.//  
  
A heaving gasp escaped his throat as he was forcefully shoved against the wall. The point of a blade was thrusting straight towards his face. His eyes narrowed and he slashed the hand that was gripping his neck with the hidden dagger inside his sleeve.   
  
Blood stained the neatly pressed white fabric into a light shade of maroon. Norrington flinched back, held his injured wrist in the other hand and sneered.  
  
"You cheated!"  
  
"Pirate." Said Zeke.  
  
Before the commodore could completely recover, Zeke moved. With inhuman reflexes, he took a held of one arm and hailed Norrington over his shoulder. The commodore hit the floor with a loud impact and laid there dizzily.   
  
He kicked the other man's sword away and placed both knees firmly on top of out stretching arms. He bent down over the prone form, pressed the edge of his dagger against exposed throat and taunted into the snarling face.  
  
"Giving up?"  
  
"You... you....."  
  
Norrington was gritting his teeth so hard that his gums were turning white.  
  
"I, I...."  
  
Zeke laughed and cocked his head to the side. Deja Vu. This scene was getting strangely familiar.  
  
"Your name. What is your name?" Norrington bitted out, "I won't forget it."  
  
"Ezekiel Black, at your service."  
  
Zeke was having fun. Anger was rolling off the commodore in waves, he pressed his nose down against the vulnerable skin under the chin and inhaled. It was sweet and intoxicating. He wanted to slice open that marble flesh and feel the essence of life poured out onto his hands. He wanted to find out whether the man's blood was as hot and fierce as his spirit.  
  
//Here is another repressed one. I am beginning to think there might be something wrong with the British.//  
  
His hand slipped and a thin red line appeared, the droplets of crimson blood contrasted sharply against the silver metal. Dusky eyes blinked and stared into equally widen blue eyes.   
  
He pulled the dagger back slightly and mused darkly about this situation. Norrington had not been the most likeable person, but deep down he was a decent and honorable man. The commodore also had a keen sense of justice, which annoyingly reminded him of another stubborn bastard. Killing him would only serve to aid the competition.   
  
//No way am I shipping the fluffy white wings any more help.//  
  
He loosed his grip on the dagger and put his hands on either side of the commodore as if to push himself up.   
  
"This isn't over. I swear that I'll avenge this humiliation. This won't be the last time we crossed blades."  
  
Zeke blinked again, momentarily thrown off by the conviction in that voice.  
  
".....you are the first person to ever say that."  
  
//Most people would be screaming and running in the opposite direction to get away from me.//  
  
"And you are certainly welcome to try."  
  
//Rest assured, I will see you again. Those wounds are not going to heal otherwise.//  
  
He smiled happily. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Anamarie begin retreating towards the door. Everyone inside the bar, pirates or British soldiers alike, were either still engaging in combats or lying motionlessly against some solid surface.   
  
It was time to go, he decided.   
  
He pushed hard with his hands and his body span a perfect half circle in the air. In less than a second, his toes touched down soundlessly on the floor a safe distance from Norrington. The commodore was slowly getting up, glaring hatefully at him and gingerly running his fingers across the wound on his neck, smearing blood everywhere.  
  
He stood up and casually hit the oil lamp on the table beside him. The lamp fell and broke. The flame caught the alcohol on the ground and spread like wild fire.   
  
He gave Norrington a mock salute and bounced out of the door.   
  
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Please Review!!!! Any kind of feedbacks are welcome, they will make the next chapter come out faster.  
  
^_~ 


	17. chapter 16

Upon A Painted Ocean - 16  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive:   
  
As long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer:   
  
Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke.   
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning:   
  
Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. I've been told this chapter is really sad. I was in a rather depressing mood, so I took it out on everyone...except Zeke. I just can't picture the little demon brat ever be heartbroke about anything. Please R&R, otherwise there is no point in posting more. ^_~  
  
Thanks to all of you who reviewed last time, your support and ecouragement are more effective and addictive than chocolate and caffine ^_^.   
  
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*  
  
Zeke brought the dagger close and licked the blood off the blade. Anamarie glanced at him with disgust. He winked at her and put the now-clean dagger back into his sleeve.   
  
"Hurry up and roll the boat." She said in a harsh whisper.  
  
He obliged without much enthusiasm. He hadn't been supplying himself with his minimum daily requirement of pain and suffering lately, and the commodore's blood tasted too..... sweet. It just did not have that spiced favor of the damned.  
  
//Good thing I am not one of those who feeds on blood or emotion, otherwise I would have been starved by now.//  
  
The district part of Tortuga was engulfed in a blazing fire. They could hear the calling and screaming of people from a good distance away. Zeke stared dreamily at his handy work and let the feeling of pure euphoria sat inside his stomach with luxurious slowness.   
  
//Fire is so pretty.//  
  
"Did you really have to start that fire?"  
  
He cracked his head slightly to the side at Anamarie. For a pirate, she had surprisingly high moral stands. He smiled at her angelically. He had been told that his smile could charmed the pants off even the gatekeepers of hell, although it had never worked on the people he wanted to.   
  
"I wanted to stop the navy from pursuing us."  
  
That was a perfectly legitimate reason. Anamarie could also see that, she grunted and went back to the oar.   
  
This evening had started out incredibly lousy with the captain's way-off-scale suspicion. Jack Sparrow might not looked the brainy type, but Zeke could still envision the constant turning of gears in the pirate captain's head. Jack was a man who always had a plan.   
  
Zeke pitted him on his restlessness, he heard that too much scheming would make a man bald before his age. Although the pirate certainly did not use his head when it was needed. The sheer amount of gun powder, that is figuratively speaking, in his kitchen early that evening was enough to light up the entire Caribbean.  
  
//There was plentiful of jealousy all right. Ha, Ursella, eat your heart out.//  
  
There was a solid thump and Zeke felt his oar connect with something. He looked at Anamarie who had stopped pulling her oar.  
  
"What was that?" She asked.  
  
Zeke leaned over the side of the boat and searched the water. Anamarie edged towards his side of the boat and looked over his shoulder.   
  
"Can you see anything?" She asked again.  
  
It was well pass midnight. The sky and the ocean were both covered by capes of darkness. The line which usually separated the two was indistinguishable, there was only the blackness stretched endlessly like a hollow void. The moon would occasionally peep from behind thick clouds and showered the surface of the sea with silver sparkles like mercury.  
  
He narrowed his eyes and felt his vision came into sharp focus. The pupils inside gray eyes reshaped into thin slits for one instant and retracted back just as quickly.  
  
A flash of ivory was translucent through the murkiness of the water. Locks of silky threads were flying wildly in the water as if they were wind strewn.   
  
Zeke had an unpleasant flashback involved a certain mermaid. He stared harder into the water. The shape was sinking deeper and deeper. The opposite direction of motion would be expected, he thought, if it was indeed the fish.   
  
"I think it's a girl."  
  
"What!"   
  
Anamarie shouted and bend herself down further. The sudden movement rattled the balance of the boat and swayed it violently to one side. He almost bit his own tongue and hastily put all his weight onto the other side. He really did not fancy another trip down the sea.   
  
The other pirate turned her head and watched him with amusement as he pried his fingers off the side of the wooden boat, one by one. He stared back evenly.  
  
"Will you be saving the girl?" She asked.  
  
"I can't swim." He replied dryly.  
  
She raised both hands towards the sky in a 'why me' gesture before jump off the boat and dived into the sea. Zeke turned his face slightly as splashes of water hit his side.   
  
The smooth surface of the sea was disoriented for a few seconds before the following tides covered the disturbance and buried it underneath the waves.  
  
He waited. There were nothing but strings of bubbles at uneven intervals. He waited some more.  
  
Anamarie's head broke through the water. Her black hair were loosened from their red band and plastered around her face and over her shoulder. Zeke offered her his hand. She accepted the help wearily and pulled herself into the boat, along with another limp body.  
  
She patted the other girl gingerly on the back. The girl coughed while inhaled the air with feverish urgency.   
  
Zeke smiled happily at their discomfort. This really was turning out to be his evening and things had just gotten a lot more interesting.  
  
"Nice to see you again, Miss. Elizabeth."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"We couldn't find her."   
  
Will watched that perfectly shaped mouth move. His breath hitched as a pink tongue rolled out and wetted the bottom lip. He stared transfixed at the shiny layers of moistures, as they added even more lushness to those already irresistible petals.  
  
"Will?"  
  
Jack looked nervous at his unresponsiveness. The pirate captain walked up to the bed and put a palm against his forehead. The warmth in that touch sent a ray of quiver down his spine and jolted him out of his trance.  
  
"Yer temperature are still a little high."  
  
"I...I'm fine."  
  
"....did ye hear me? We couldn't find Elizabeth."  
  
The mention of his fiancé thrust a pang of guilt straight through his heart with razor-sharpness. He folded deeper into the blankets.   
  
"The red coats lost her."  
  
"Did.... did they say where...."  
  
"Nay. They told me she fell in the water and they couldn't find her."  
  
He felt as if he was encapsulated inside a small and sealed box, which was tumbling down a steep hill. Every where he touched, there was the darkness and the brick wall. He was suffocating while the uncertainty and impending danger of the situation jabbed him sharply from all angles. He was not looking forward to hit the bottom.  
  
"Is she.... is she...?"  
  
He could not bring himself to finish the question, but there was understanding in Jack's kohl outlined eyes.   
  
"The lass knows how to swim.... and it would have been the perfect opportunity to get away from the commodore."  
  
"O..of course."  
  
"She is all right."   
  
Large hands clasped around his shoulders. The assurance, or perhaps just plain stubbornness in  
  
Jack's voice was enough to rinse away the doubts that surrounded his heart. From those four words, a dawning hope was granted to him.   
  
He was not arrogant enough to think that he could pry away all that pretense, which the pirate wore like a armor. However, he did pride himself on the fact that he could see through the illusion that the other projected to the world. Jack Sparrow was one of the most cunning and intelligent man he had ever known, no matter how opposite the pirate might have acted.   
  
//If Jack said she is all right, then she is.//  
  
"I've given words to look out for anything out in the sea. The Pearl hasn't moved that far from where we were, she will find us."  
  
"I know."  
  
Ebony eyes blinked, surprised at the almost blind faith in that reply. Then Jack withdrew his hands abruptly and stepped away. He looked up at the other with confusion. Jack laughed half heartily, the sound was like nail scratching in his ears.  
  
"Well, as long as ye know. Just leave everything to captain Jack Sparrow."  
  
His left hand reached out towards that unshaven face and Jack flinched back. He froze, heart clenched painfully at the distance that the other insisted on wedge between them.  
  
"Jack, I...."  
  
"Ye are probably tired. I'll let ye rest now."   
  
"Jack!"  
  
He yelled before the pirate could bolt from the room. His brain screamed at him to let the man go. His logic reasoned that time would dissolve whatever animosity between them. But his heart was recoiling in pain at the increasing space which separated them. He could no longer stand it.   
  
//Does he hate me now?//  
  
Was it too late? Was everything irreversible? Did Jack despise him so much that the pirate could no longer bear to be close to him? He wanted to explain everything. He wanted to tell Jack that he wanted him, and god have mercy on his soul, loved him. He would understand if the pirate could never return his feelings, if all he would ever have was friendship. It would have been enough to watch the other man from afar, to swallow down his affection until it aged into a constant bitter sweet ache.   
  
It would have to be enough.  
  
//But would it be worth it?//  
  
There were endless possible reactions the pirate captain could have to his confession, and most of them were not encouraging. If he upset this false security and jaded politeness between them, he could unleash the hidden turbulence that would sweep away whatever little he had left. He could not see any middle ground in which his feelings could be balanced with the crashing reality.  
  
//To keep what I have or to lose everything in striving for more.//  
  
Neither way, he could no longer bear witness to the fragility that has became their friendship. Everything that tied them together was dangling on the verge of a bottomless abyss. Or perhaps their friendship had already been shattered beyond repair and he was only holding onto the broken pieces in denial.   
  
//No. No.//  
  
The pure agony which accompanied that prospect was drilling a crater inside his chest. The pain was far worse than any illness or injuries that he had ever experienced or sustained, far worse than even those previously initiated in him by the possibility of losing Elizabeth.   
  
//I must do something.//  
  
He did not know what that something was, but he knew that he would do anything for things to be the way they were before. If he could never have anything more, then at least allow him the comforts of their routine interaction and the chance to drift back to what was left of his ignorance.  
  
Jack had already moved half way to the door. He panicked and opened his mouth. Nothing came out. The simultaneous thrill and dread rising in his lungs were strangling him.   
  
"What do I have to do?" He choked out.  
  
"What?"  
  
"What do I have to do?" He repeated.  
  
"Will? What are ye..."  
  
"TELL ME!"   
  
His outburst startled Jack, whose _expression was disarrayed with a mixture of concern and indignation. He tried to quite his pounding heart with large gulps of air to no avail.   
  
"Will? What's wrong?"  
  
Jack has half kneed in front of him and the pirate's hands was hovering so close to his cheeks. So close yet not close enough. He felt the shifting of air reverberate softly against his skin, sensitized by the wetness on his cheeks. He did not realize that he was crying. He sucked in another breath.  
  
"...please, just tell me."  
  
"Tell ye what, ...?"   
  
The question seemed oddly unfinished, as if Jack had braked against the sentence at the last moment. His early bravo had already deserted him, and he was drained of all courage to continue.   
  
"Tell me what I have to do?"  
  
"To do what?"  
  
Jack was patiently drawing out each response from him. The pirate's palms were still close, but still not touching him.   
  
"What I have to do to fix this."  
  
"Fix? There is nothing to fix, Will."  
  
"There is.....there is, tell me what I have to do. Anything, I'll do anything. Just... please....you have to tell me....."  
  
His voice died down to silent weeping. He bit the inside of his mouth to prevent the sobbing from getting any louder. The tightness in his heart had no name, yet it was as real and defined as any solid object.  
  
"Will...."  
  
There was pleading in Jack's voice. He tried to control his labored breathing and his melancholic thoughts.  
  
"Will!"  
  
A second voice cried from behind Jack. Neither of them had noticed that the door had been opened. He raised his face to where Elizabeth was standing, and staring at him with joy and relief.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
He closed the door quietly behind him and sagged against the wall beside it. Cold air rushed towards his face and washed away the last vestige of uneasiness. The growing emptiness that was eating him from the inside out, was complimented by the somber tides of the sea and the black ink of the sky above.  
  
"Captain?"  
  
Anamarie's concerned voice appeared in front of him. He looked up at the female pirate. She was completely wet and her clothes were glued against her body, showing every curve. Jack would have made a few smart-ass comments about the deliciously of the view if he was in his usually mind set.   
  
"Anamarie." He said in terms of greeting.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
"Perfect, just perfect."  
  
The bitterness must had soaked through the brick response despite his best effort. Anamarie raised one elegant eyebrow, clearly showed that his pathetic attempts at covering up was not bought. He shrugged and did not bother to explain himself further. Better let her think there was something wrong rather than have her know there was something wrong.  
  
"How did ye find th' lass?"   
  
He tried lamely to redirect the conversation towards a safer ground. She stared at him intently for a few more seconds, before shrugged as well, apparently decided to drop the subject, for now.  
  
"You won't believe this, but on our way back, the cook hit her on the head with the oar.... accidentally of course."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Aye, and I had to dive down to save her. Did you know that Zeke can't swim?"  
  
"I don't believe he mentioned somethin'g like that..... but he does tend to have a unusual amount of good luck."  
  
"No more so than you, captain."  
  
"Ah, of course not. I am, after all, captain Jack Sparrow."  
  
He was grateful for her gentle teasing, and laughed softly a few times, although the sound was joyless.  
  
"Ye didn't tell th' lass about Will, did ye?"  
  
"She was *most* persistent. I told her as much as I know, but I think she was a bit skeptical with it all.....would it cause any problem?"  
  
"....what's done can not be undone. ......and th' job in Tortuga was nicely done.... from what I can see over here."  
  
The grayish fume had shot straight from Tortuga; the pillar of smoke was visible from even their current well-hidden location between the cliffs. The smoke had gathered around and loomed above the town like a layer of thick fog.   
  
"That was the cook." Anamarie snarled good naturally.  
  
"Was it?.... well, I always did thought th' lad was something of a pyromaniac."  
  
"And apparently had a appetite for blood." She added.  
  
"Ah, which unlucky bastard did he cut up this time?"  
  
"Commodore Norrington."  
  
He chuckled. "That was to be expected."  
  
He tried to imagine the commodore's face when the man had a overly sharp dagger at his throat. He still recalled the first time he met Zeke. He had felt like he was about to be dissected by those slate eyes. The cook still creeped him out from time to time, which was an admirable feat in itself.   
  
"Is he dead?"  
  
"Nay, but the commodore will no doubt be after us with more determination now."  
  
That would depends on the severity of the wounds, he thought silently to himself. For some reason, those that Zeke hurt did not tend to live long. When the cook first came aboard, more than one man had tried to force their ways into the youth's pants. They had lost two crewmen due to unstoppable bleeding, and no one bothered the cook after that.  
  
"That he would.....which is why we ar' setting sail now."  
  
"Now?"  
  
"The wind is strong an' we have the cover of the night. Go wake up th' rest of th' lazy slackers."  
  
"Aye, captain."  
  
Anamarie turned and finally left him in peace. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the gentle sway of the ship beneath his feet. Behind tightly shut eye lids, Will's tear streaked face was still haunting him with vicious persistence.   
  
//I... made him cry.//  
  
Dark lashes brightened by moisture, fluttered softly against pale cheeks like butterfly wings. Crystal droplets of tears slide down like broken strings of pearl necklaces.   
  
//What would they have tasted like?//  
  
They would have tasted bitterly salty like the sea, ash coppery like his bleeding heart and honey sweet like Will. He had to bite his bottom lip to relinquish the insane urge to lick away the wetness. He knew if he had followed his impulse, he wouldn't be able to stop.   
  
//I would have wanted more.//  
  
More of the tears, more of the soft skins, more of the warm flesh. But he had vowed on whatever honor he had left, that he would not succumbed to his darkest and basest needs. Not when Will was still weak and would be helpless to resist his advances, and not when the youth's heart belonged to another.  
  
//I had to get away then.//  
  
His obsession with the youth had sprouted to almost uncontrollable proportion. He had always been fascinated by the blacksmith, ever since the first time they've met. But now just being near the youth was no longer enough. The glances and the touches could not satisfy his ever-widening hunger.   
  
//But he doesn't need ye, not when his bonny lass is here.//  
  
He was plagued by the memory from those few minutes inside the alley. He had a single taste and was instantly hooked. There wasn't a single minute that went by when he wasn't thinking about Will.   
  
He looked down on his hands, the same hands that were so close to Will. So close, yet not close enough.   
  
//If Elizabeth hadn't come in.....//  
  
That was when he heard the scream. He jumped and yanked open the door. Elizabeth stumbled out, swirled around and ran as if the devil himself was on her trail.   
  
He gawked at her retreating back before snapped around and entered the room.  
  
"Will?"  
  
The room was completely ingrossed in blackness, his left foot hit the oil lamp that was laying on the floor. The broken glasses squeaked and the lamp rolled out of sight.   
  
"Will?"  
  
He called again. There was soft sniffing from the direction of the bed. He walked up to the dark bundle trembling on the bed. He swallowed and half kneed in front of the bed.   
  
"Will? What happened?"  
  
He started to unravel the blankets-warpped form slowly, layer by layer. Will's eyes were strangely bright in the darkness, he swallowed at the look of stark terror in brown orbs. He untangled covers from limps with maneuverability and long practices. Will murmured something under staging breathing.   
  
"Her touch hurt me."  
  
A streak of long red mark was spotted on each shivering shoulders. They were as thick as the width of a human arm, horizontal and cycled around like rope burns.   
  
//Oh, god.//  
  
His heart clenched and he caress the tender flesh with his finger tips. Will sucked in a another breath at his careful ministration.  
  
"Why? Why did her touch hurt me?"  
  
He felt deflated under that searching gaze. He had no answer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Me: Errr...!!! it's only a week, and I am already sick of summer school!!! Not only is the stupid course mandatory for graduation, I also have to pay like $600 bucks for a two weeks course. Where is the justice in this!!!! DAMMNN!!!!!!  
  
*cough, cough* Ok, I feel better. Sorry about the bitching over there.  
  
Anyway, please review. Any kind of feedbacks are welcome and will be worshipped, they make the next chapter come out faster.  
  
^_~ 


	18. chapter 17

Upon A Painted Ocean - 16  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive:   
  
As long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer:   
  
Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the colleage kid who are already broke.   
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning:   
  
Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language.   
  
This chapter feel so weird, and I don't know how to fix it, it's like some kind of filler episode or something. The next chapter should start to pick up the pace a little, and I'll be introducing Vann. Kept on mention his name, but he hasn't appeared yet. He's the head of the rival pirate gang, and the *him* inside Jack's dream.   
  
Zeke: Let me kill him.  
  
Me: You are still bitter about it? Well, I guess he did do a better job than you.  
  
I've actually got emails telling me that people have figured out who the *real* villain of the story is. And they were right, I am so impressed, but I guessed I did drop a lot of hints.  
  
I am so happy with all the reviews, you guys have no idea how much this means to me.  
  
Zeke: Pathetic.  
  
Me: Be nice, remember I am the author, therefore, makes me almighty.  
  
Please continue to R&R, and I'll continue to do my best. *bows*   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Will was tossing and turning. His forehead was damp and his night shirt was soaked through. His pale face lacked the usual relaxation from the abandonment brought by sleep, instead it was troubled as if chased by some ghostly shadows.   
  
Jack stared at the boy worriedly. He had been trying to sleep for the last three hours, but the sandman had rejected him over and over. He propped his upper body up with one elbow, and looked down on the boy's steadily moving chest, as it rose and fell with each breath.  
  
*** I am cold. Stay with me? ***  
  
The brunette had simply turned those liquid brown eyes at him, red from crying and deadlier than any weapon. He had melted and climbed inside the covers obediently.  
  
The youth had burrowed himself into Jack's chest and slipped into slumber soon afterward, while Jack was wide awake, was still wide awake.   
  
He could not sleep with Will beside him...especially not with Will beside him and on the same bed. His admittedly perverted mind was stocked with possibilities of what else he could be doing with the boy, the bed and several exotic and creative positions.  
  
//Think something else, something not arousing.//  
  
Predictably his efforts had the exact opposite effect. His train of thoughts was beginning to sidetrack. He cursed at himself and scrambled through his brain for the most disgusting images that he could conjured up.   
  
Barbossa in that oversized hat and nothing else. Elizabeth and Anemarie making out. Although that was...strangly hot. Norrington and that pretty lieutenant sucking faces. He wouldn't be surprised if they did; he had seen the way the commodore glanced at Will.   
  
Will, beautiful Will, beautiful Will who was lying beside hi..... The more he tried to stop thinking about the boy, the more he thought about him.  
  
//Damn ye, William Turner.//  
  
The boy groaned softly in sleep and his breathing sped up. Will turned slightly to face him, and the red marks around his shoulder became visible in the moonlight.   
  
Jack's heart skipped.  
  
*** Her touch hurt me. ****  
  
*That* memory had quenched the boiling inside his groin. He fell back to his side of the bed and covered his eyes with the back of his hands.   
  
Had his hypothesis been wrong? Or was he on the wrong path to start with?   
  
*** Why? Why did her touch hurt me? ****  
  
He did not know what to say at the time. He still would not know what to say if Will should ask him the same question.  
  
He shuffled through the disarrayed evident as the explanation hanged just at the edge of his thoughts. All the clues were getting more and more tangled. This parry of inscrutability was like a Russian doll, one mystery inside another.   
  
Or perhaps, the answer was in plain sight, and he was the one who was too blinded and distracted by the supposed reaction to focus on the actual reaction.   
  
He had a feeling that Will was trying to tell him something early that evening. He also had a feeling that whatever it was, it had the potential to alter his life forever. He had wanted to know, but the torment in those expressive eyes had alarmed him. If it had pained Will to such extend to just think about it, then it couldn't have been something good. At the same time his survival instinct had been screaming at him to let the matter pass and divert the boy's attention to elsewhere, there was the strangest sense of anticipation lurking at the pit of his stomach.  
  
//Perhaps Will wanted to tell me that he loves someone else.//  
  
It was entirely possible, since Elizabeth apparently did not have any observable positive effect on the boy's condition. Furthermore, the burns on Will and the lass's early reaction were not too encouraging neither.   
  
But he had already established the fact that Will's illness was nothing natural. Both Will and Zeke had hinted on the involvement of magic and whatever spell must had something to do with emotion..... maybe love, or at the very least lust.   
  
He himself could vouched for that.   
  
Lust, he thought bitterly, since when did Captain Jack Sparrow become so selective about his bed partner and stopped being satiated by just lust? And the turn of event had opened the door to endless possibilities, he mused.  
  
//Will might love someone else....someone like...me?//  
  
No, he told himself sternly. Perish the thought. Nip the bud before it blossoms. There was no point in building up false hope. He knew himself well, perhaps too well. When the pent up emotion reached its pivot point, there would be no where else to go but down.   
  
He knew that if he allowed this fantasizing to continue, he would tell the boy, most likely in the worst place at the worst time. People had always said that he had as many lives as a cat, but Will's hatred and disgust could, and would kill him.  
  
He had tried to comfort the boy to the best of his abilities. He had wrapped the blankets around Will like a cocoon. The gesture was a poor substitute for a shield, perhaps it was only the imitation of a shield or the mere promise of it. But it was one built with all the silent yearning and tenderness he could gushed out from his heart without bleeding himself dry.  
  
//The only logical thing to do right now would be to go after the priest. And I can guess where they would be going, to where *he* is.//  
  
By his calculation, it would take another two days before they reach Isla de Las Aves. It was one of the most forgotten island in the West Indies and situated almost right in the middle of the Caribbean. It was said that the island was getting smaller every year because it was being swallowed slowly by the sea. The water surrounded the island was nearly impossible to navigate through and had entombed many ships from long ago.   
  
The island of Las Aves was also rumored to be cursed. Although Jack knew better. He grew up there.   
  
He had not returned in over twenty five years. There was nothing there now. Nothing, but the coven for the most notorious pirate gang on all seven seas and the wreckage remain of a broken past. A past which had recurred in and terrorized his dreams for so long.   
  
The island held some of his most precious memories, but it was also the burial ground for the ones who gave him those memories.   
  
Sometimes he wondered what his life would have been like if he had not saved that stranger from the beach. Would he have eventually ceded his childhood dream of exploring the sea until his back bent from the responsibilities that would eventually be weighted upon him? Would he have stayed with the others in self-exile until old age wore him down and all chances of sailing were past him? Would he have been happy living in the blissful simplicity of the ignorant?   
  
Lately those thoughts had beginning to scare him. Not for the loss of freedom they symbolized, that he could learn to bear.... given enough time. Imprisonment of body did not mean imprisonment of heart. The fear was for the fact that if he had stayed in Isle de Aves, he would never have met Will.   
  
That thought scared him even more, and brought forth an emotion which he had disregarded when he chose the path of piracy.   
  
Guilt.  
  
Jack sighed and settled himself deeper into the nest made of mattress and blankets. A flare of tremor ran through the body beside him. He tightened his arms around the boy and nuzzled into chestnut hair.  
  
He did not notice the small gap between the door and the wall, and the hitched breathing from the other side.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The Black Pearl was sailing at full speed. It's magnificent fans unfolded to full size and took the  
  
strains of the blowing wind with ease. Great oars reached out from both side of the ship like giant arms. Their circular motion unleashed massive force with each downward push and cut through the waves like knife through butter. The fluid design of the body allowed the Black Pearl to part through the water like a needle, separate the waves at the prow and reunited them at the rear.  
  
Zeke looked out through the window of his kitchen at the first blush of the morning.   
  
The red and gold glows of the eastern sky painted an layer of pink over the ocean. All was quiet, except the splashing of water against wood and the faint chattering of the night shift crews.   
  
It was still too early to cook breakfast, and he allowed himself to immerse in the quietness of the moment. He was usually the first one awake since he did not need as much sleep as regular humans did. Even though he had always thought sunrise to be terribly cheerful and exhilarating, it was the only time that the ship could attain anything even resembling sincerity and peace.   
  
He poked his head out of the window and smelled the freshness of morning air mingled with the briny scent lingered from last night.   
  
The kitchen was located at the rear of the ship just below the deck which heldthe captain's quarter. The white foams produced by the constant clasping between the ship and the ocean tides were spread out like snow flakes.   
  
A small twinkle of emerald would appear there and then between surges of swaying waves. Zeke looked down with amusement at the mermaid who had been tagging the ship since last night. He watched the small green dot began gaining speed, until it was right below his window.   
  
With a powerful sway of grassy scaled tail, she jumped high above the water and latched onto the net hanged at the rear of the ship.   
  
He supported both elbows against the window sill and rested his chin on upturned palms. Tisha was struggling with the coarse entanglement of thin ropes.   
  
She raised her head and immediately spotted him.   
  
He flashed her a bright smile and gave her a little wave with two fingers, but retained from commenting on the her ridiculous position. However, his mockery must had been apparent in his _expression, because she balled her fists and shook them angrily at him.   
  
One instant of stillness passed between them with deceptive slowness, before her eyes widened, finally realized that her hands were no longer gripping the net.   
  
Zeke almost fell over when he caught the uproarious funny _expression on her face. She flailed her arms wildly around her to little avail before gravity pulled her down, and she fell into the sea with a less than graceful stance.   
  
The door of the kitchen creaked open.   
  
He turned his head as Elizabeth walked in. She was still wearing the nightgown from when Zeke last saw her. Her shoulders were slugged in defeat and her eyes were swollen from crying. Zeke blinked at the shabbiness of both clothes and spirit from the usual tidy and energetic girl.   
  
"Good morning, Miss. Elizabeth."  
  
Her head snapped up. She smiled guilty at him like a child whose hand had just been caught in the cookie jar.   
  
"G...good morning, Zeke. I didn't know anyone was up this early."  
  
"I am usually the first one to wake up."  
  
"Oh, I...I like early morning, too. The air is so refreshing."  
  
"Exactly, morning is also the only time the ship is quiet."  
  
"Yes it is."  
  
"......."  
  
"......."  
  
Zeke stared at her vacuously. After all the usual pleasantries were exchanged, there was no more topics they could talk about, that was even remotely disassociated with a certain blacksmith. In other words, nothing that was harmless for idle chat.   
  
"Is there anything I can do for you, Miss. Elizabeth?"  
  
"N...no, I... I am fine."   
  
She scrubbed her face with the back of her hands, but Zeke could still see the clear trails left by tears. A few crew members had witness her distress as she ran out from Will's cabin last night, and all kind of rumors have undoubtedly plagued the entire ship by now.   
  
"Would you like some tea?"  
  
She nodded in gratitude. He set out to boil some water using the iron stove. They both waited patiently for the wailing sound of stream. When the water was ready, he put out two clay mugs on the table and dug out a tin can of tea leaves from the cupboard. He sprinkled some leaves into the mugs and carefully poured the water inside. He put one mug in front of Elizabeth, who smiled shyly up at him.  
  
"Those are herbs I got from the east, suppose to smooth your nerves."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
They sipped their teas in companionable silence for a few minutes, before Elizabeth asked abruptly.  
  
"Zeke, have you ever loved someone?"  
  
He blinked owlishly at the unexpected question. Her face flushed and she dipped her head.  
  
"It's....none of my business. I am sorry if I was too forward."  
  
"....it's quite all right, Miss.Elizabeth."  
  
"......"  
  
"......"  
  
"....well, have you?"  
  
He sighed. Why did he always end up playing love counselor to teenage girls? Just which part of him said experienced in relationships. Sure he was over five thousand years old, but age did not equal wisdom and he had spend ninety nine percent of that time either sleeping or plotting revenge.  
  
"I am afraid not, Miss. Elizabeth."  
  
Contrast to popular belief, demons can love. One could not truly understand hatred without having something to compare it to. Love was, however, something of a myth and was extremely rare among his kind.   
  
"Oh. Have you ever wanted to?"  
  
"Love someone? No.....someone I knew told me once that, love makes all four seasons feel like winter."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"I don't like the cold."  
  
She giggled slightly at that and the rigid lines around her mouth melted. He swallowed down the nauseating feeling issued by the fact that he had involuntarily lightened her mood.   
  
"Let's say... hypothetically, if the person you love wanted someone else. What would you do?"  
  
//Other than chain one to the bed and blast the other into oblivion. Damn... what would be the human thing to say..... oh, yeah.//  
  
"I would... eh... want that person to be happy."  
  
"Then you would let him go?"  
  
"I... would."  
  
The whole picture of the situation was gradually becoming clear to him now. It was not that complicated to fathom. Elizabeth knew, or at least suspected something.   
  
"I couldn't."  
  
"Couldn't, Miss. Elizabeth?"  
  
"Couldn't let him go...."  
  
"Will?"  
  
"Y...yes." She was blushing furiously now.  
  
"Then you should chain him to the bed and kill the competition."   
  
Zeke deadpanned, then realized with dismay that said competition was his target. He wondered whether it was too late to rescind that advice.   
  
"I can't do that!"   
  
She looked horrified and stood up suddenly. Her chair fell backward on the floor with a loud impact. Then her _expression darkened, "but I can't just give him up neither... I have to do something..... even... even if it meant that Jack will be hurt in the process."  
  
Zeke watched as guilt and determination traveled through her face at the same time. There was nothing shameful in fighting for what one wanted, he wanted to tell her, it was a good thing, it meant that she was not completely hopeless after all.   
  
Then he remembered that comforting her further would go against everything that he was taught and his very nature, so he clamped down on his unruly tongue.  
  
"I...I have to go now." Elizabeth glanced up at him hesitantly, "Can you.... not mention our conversation to anyone?"  
  
"....what conversation?"  
  
He grinned to reassure her. Behind his back, his fingers were crossed. She smiled up at him unguardedly, turned and walked toward the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
This message is for Icy Flame.  
  
To answer your question, Will is dying because of both the potion and his desire for Jack. The original purpose of the potion was to corrupt the love between him and Elizabeth by having him...well, eh...hurt her. But because of that wonder rock of Ram...  
  
Zeke: DON'T say his name, it's bad luck!  
  
Me: You are afraid of the strangest things.  
  
Anyway, the purpose of the ruby wasn't to repel evil, it was actually designed specifically for Zeke...  
  
Zeke: Excuse me if I don't jump up and down with joy.  
  
Me: Be quite, you are just pissed that someone managed to outwitted you.... not like that would have been difficult.   
  
...which is why it effect the demon so much. However, one of its main function is to contain black magic, but it's only a piece and wasn't powerful enough to completely cancelled out the potion. Just alternated it a little, which was why Will almost, but didn't rape Jack.  
  
The potion, like most magic, can be broke by either fulfilling its objective (what that is, I think you guys can all guess *wink, wink*) or by killing the one who casted it. I hope that answered your question. ^_^  
  
If there are anything else that are not clear, I'll be glad to explain it. This story confuse myself sometimes, there are way too many things going on. I actually have a notebook keep track of everything. _ 


	19. chapter 18

Upon A Painted Ocean - 18  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive:   
  
As long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer:   
  
Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the college kid who are already broke.   
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning:   
  
Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language.   
  
I am getting so obsessed with Norrington, who is going to appear later on. But I realized that while not the most attractive guy in the movie, his stuck-up-ness is actually kind of cute. And he's justice obsessed, kind of remind me of Wufei from GundamWing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Elizabeth was avoiding him, and so was Jack.  
  
He lay alone on the bed. The window and door were both shut, not even an ounce of light penetrated the confinement of the cabin. The darkness was his sanctuary and he welcomed it with open arms.   
  
Elizabeth had not revisited him since their early disastrous reunion. The look of pure horror on her face was still stubbornly refusing to depart from his mind. He thought her absence was for the best right now, because he wasn't exactly ready to see her either.   
  
He needed time to think and to sort out the jumbled mess that was his feelings. The last thing he wanted was to hurt the people he cared about involuntarily in the process, although that scenario was beginning to appear inevitable.   
  
How he wished that this was all just a nightmare, that when he opened his eyes again, everything would have gone back to the way it was. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he wasn't so naive and ignorant as to believe that harmony can be restored and memory erased so easily. If there was indeed some natural or supernatural force that could accomplish this feat, he would gladly sell his soul for it.   
  
As for Jack. Jack. Just the thought of the man would often push him to a state of coma like stupor, where his focus narrowed onto only the rogue pirate. He ran his finger tips, with painstaking conscientiousness, over the human shaped dent on the other side of the bed.  
  
//I am sure it wasn't a dream//  
  
Jack had held him and whispered comforting words in his ears until sleep claimed him. For the first time, he gave a name to the desperate craving inside him. It was hunger, hunger for the other man's touch. The pirate's embrace was like a safe harbor, some place that he could return to and would always belong.   
  
When he woke up this morning, Jack was already gone. The only things that indicated the presence of the other from the previous night was the dent on the bed sheet, the lingering scent of rum and a few strands of black hair on the pillow. For some irrational reasons, he had felt like the female protagonist in a romance novel, abandoned after a one night stand.   
  
Zeke had come in twice to bring him breakfast and lunch. He had faked sleep both times, although he didn't think the cook bought his acts.   
  
The redhead had blithely chatted to the empty air above him, explained how they were headed for Isle de Aves, how the fish girl was still chasing after the Pearl, and how the younger man had cleverly caught an octopus, which the cook would secretly stuff into the pies for dinner. He had made a mental note that if he should go down to dinner, he should probably stay as far away from the pies as possible.  
  
He sighed into stagnate air, and decided that this was about all the sulking he could endure. He sat up slowly and scanned his surrounding. From the little he could see, the room was a mess. A promiscuous heap of clothes was in one corner and a shattered lamp in the other.   
  
He took off his nightshirt, kneeled down in front of his trunk and dug through the content. Luckily, there was a few clean shirts and trousers in it. He pulled one out, and stared at the small rip in the sleeve. It was the same shirt he wore when he went to the governor's house to deliver the sword and when he fought Jack for the first time.   
  
The shirt was made of thick cotton and was one of the best he owned. The small imperfection on the sleeve was the result of a very fast swing of sword on Jack's part, which he had failed to dodge properly. Although the pirate did not manage to draw any blood, it had sped up his heart rate.   
  
He nuzzled his face into the soft fabric and inhaled deeply until the coldness made him aware of his current state of under dress.   
  
//Damn it. I have to stop doing that.//  
  
He slide the shirt on top of his head and let the cloth fall onto his body. Then tugged his necklace inside his collar, averted gazing upon the ring. The friction between bare skin and smooth fabric was like a soft twinkling, like a gentle teasing, like Jack's touch.   
  
His brain screamed at his hormones.  
  
//Enough!//  
  
He took a deep breath to compose himself and pushed open the door. Light poured into his cabin, something flashed silver on his night stand. He blinked and walked back towards his bed.  
  
It was the dagger Zeke gave him when they were both captured and held on board of the Grey Owl. He had almost forgotten about it. His own sword was long gone, lost to God knows where. He picked it up gingerly, the metal was cool against the callous skin on his hand.   
  
The dagger had offered him some comfort, small but nonetheless reassuring, when he was imprisoned on the enemy ship. He mused, perhaps it would help calming down his raging heart. He unfastened the straps around the leather hoist, and tied them around his left wrist. The hard blade pressed closely against the inside of his wrist through the thin layer of leather. He tightened the straps to secured it further and rolled down his sleeve to cover it.  
  
//I hope Zeke doesn't mind if I hold on to it for a little while longer.//  
  
He turned back toward the exit. A couple of large strides brought him out of the blackness of his cabin.  
  
The hustling of the outside world invaded all his senses at the same time. It was the first time he had left his cabin since his return to the Black Pearl. A passing crew member chanted his name cheerfully in greeting. He waved back meekly.  
  
The later afternoon sun was still shining brightly. The cries of dolphins and the humming of wind intertwined to generate a glissando of timbre, shivered up and down the scale. The melody was like the notes of a violin, undermined with sadness.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
He balanced the dagger with two fingers. Sunlight glided across the body of the blade, and sharpened the silvery metal with a coating of frostily white. He ran his finger tip gingerly across the edge of the dagger, careful not to cut himself.  
  
"Beautiful." He breathed out.  
  
The ingenious piece of craftsmanship was simply stunning. Both sides of the blade started out perfectly parallel, followed the path of a small arc at half way until they reached the point of interception. Exotic design and drawing were carved from the tip, stayed mostly within the center line and diffused fluidly into the chamfering connected the blade to the hilt.   
  
By closer inspection, he discovered that the drawings were actually scribbling fashioned in the forms of thorny vines. The miniature text blend sleekly into the flowing curvature and conferred the illusion of writhing plants.   
  
His men had cleaned and polished the dagger before presented it to him. It was found embedded in the forehead of one of the guards on the Grey Owl. The wound was very shallow, barely scrapped the bones of the skull, yet the guard had been stunned into shock on the spot and bleed to death shortly afterward.   
  
The metal appeared to be silver at first glance, but it has the hardness and weight of folded steel. He reckoned it to be made of some mixture of the two, or perhaps an unknown alloy. With a flick of wrist, he dropped the dagger, brought his hand around and gripped the hilt at the next instant.  
  
"You might want to be careful with it." A bored voice rolled lazily from behind him.  
  
He turned around to face the woman, as she tossed waves of blonde manes behind her shoulder casually and winked surreptitiously at him.   
  
"The wound it inflected will never heal."  
  
"Fascinating." His expressionless face said otherwise.  
  
"One of Ezekiel's better ideas."  
  
Her voice clanged softly like silver bells, the magnetic seductiveness in them could bring any ordinary man to his knees. But Edward Hensel Vann was no ordinary man. He ignored her warning and continued to fiddle with the dagger.   
  
Pale arms sneaked around his neck like snakes, she purred beside his ear.  
  
"Does nothing interest you?"  
  
The motion of his hand did not pause. He shifted his head slightly, away from her intruding presence. The smell of limestone and spice clenched around her body like some kind of soured perfume.  
  
"You know what interest me, or else you wouldn't be here."  
  
"True."   
  
She giggled. He found that the woman tended to giggle at everything, as if the world around her was one big joke. He wondered if the other one was as warped as she was.   
  
"I don't care what you think, as long as you keep your end of the bargain."  
  
"Of course, don't I always keep my words."  
  
Vann wrinkled his shoulders out of her embrace. Her higher body temperature was blazing like the summer heat. Every time the woman came within five feet, he felt like he was being drained of all emotion until there was nothing left but a hollowed shell. She was almost unnaturally beautiful, yet she had always given him the impression of a vampiric slug.  
  
"I just want you to be happy."  
  
She pressed her petty body against his back, he could register every curve and roundness through thin fabric. It repulsed him further.  
  
"I highly doubt that."   
  
He quickly stepped away and she laughed out aloud. He pounded down the urge to reach for his pistol as her eyes glowed gold for one instant.   
  
"That is wise. But I did keep my promise this time. The Black Pearl ... and her captain are on their way here as we speak."  
  
She cycled around to face him. Her chin held high and amusement danced in large almond shaped violet eyes.  
  
"Don't I deserve some praise? It's what you've been *wishing* for, isn't it?"  
  
He did not raise to the bait. Over twenty years of anticipation and painfully biding for his time had taught him the virtue of patience and the delinquency of rashness. Not even love and passion could justify the miscalculation and reckless action he committed all those years ago. A true predator laid the trap and wait for its prey to come.   
  
He had learned from his mistakes. This time, he won't let the boy get away. No, he corrected himself, the boy would be a man by now. A man who had made a name for himself, among everyone, the thieves, robbers, scum and especially the respectful citizens of the Caribbean.   
  
"You will finally have you wanted."  
  
"So will you."   
  
His words were brisk and to the point. She shrugged nonchalantly.   
  
"Ezekiel would have eventually come to his senses. He might not be the brightest, but he is not clueless neither. It just ... take him a while to process some things."  
  
There was hurried footsteps down the hall way.   
  
A few moments later, the door opened and brought a shaggily dressed man to their range of sight. The thin pirate ran the last couple of steps and kneeled down in front of Vann.  
  
"Captain, we hav' a problem wit' th' priest. He's..."  
  
A second voice cut off the pirate's report. Vann watched impassively as the door flung open again and Cane stampeded toward them.  
  
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!!!"  
  
He turned his head slight towards the woman and droned into her ear. "Control your pet, or I will remove him."  
  
"Now, now, is this any way to address your partner in crime." She chided without any real menace.  
  
Cane stopped in front of them and bowed slightly to the woman first.  
  
"My lady."  
  
The priest then redirected his gaze towards him with poisonous intensity. In a voice baffled by anger and the long hike to the top of the compound, Cane accused him hotly.  
  
"Where are my medicines?"  
  
"I sold them." He answered evenly.  
  
"What! How DARE you!"  
  
Cane was breathing heavily and his cheeks had redden to the color of boiled lobster. He contemplate how upset the woman would be if he just put the moron out of his misery. His hand was almost to the hilt of his cutlass when she stepped into the argument.  
  
"Waste energy arguing won't solve anything." She said in a soothing tone, like trying to calm down a child.  
  
"But, but, my lady. The medicine are essential to my research." The priest pleaded in a pitiful tone.  
  
"I understand that, but you need not trouble yourself with such trivial matter."  
  
He watched the display impartially as she played the priest like a harp. Cane wobbled slightly on his feet as the woman caressed one cheek and ranked her fingers across the white hair.   
  
"Do you not trust me?" She breathed into Cane's face.  
  
"I...I do, my lady, implicitly."   
  
Cane was trembling with repressed excitement. The priest sucked in a breath as she smiled at him. The small lift of rose-painted lips was like a ray of light, parted the clouds of gloom. Her face was suddenly transformed by an almost divine splendor. The priest shuddered at the dawning of new light in the woman's angelic face while Vann simply stared on.  
  
"Good. You must be tired from your journey, go rest in your quarter."  
  
"But.."  
  
"No but, I will call for you when it is time."  
  
"Y...yes."  
  
"Do not worry. I will take care of everything."  
  
"Thank you, thank you so much, my lady."  
  
The priest was rooted to the ground and stared at her adorably. He glanced at the other pirate and motioned him to escort Cane away. The skinny man immediately obeyed and pulled the priest away rather forcibly towards the exit.   
  
Vann turned to the woman and clapped mockingly a few times.   
  
"Very well performed."  
  
"Thank you." She smiled at him with false coziness.  
  
"For a moment there, the word 'angel' crossed my mind."  
  
Her shoulder shook with laughter and she upturned her face toward the sky. "Did you hear that, father." There was bitterness and something very keen to devious pride in her taunting voice.   
  
A few moments later, he went back to examining the dagger, clearly dismissing her.  
  
She chuckled and fixed the ribbons on her dress, then began walking toward the door. With one feet already out of the room, she looked back at him.  
  
"A word of advice. If you see Ezekiel first, either kill him on sight or leave him alone and get out of his way completely."  
  
He cocked one eyebrow at her, other than that his _expression was unchanged. Confidence reeked from the arrogant stance of his body.  
  
"You are threading on dangerous territory. It would not be wise to anger a wish master, no matter how powerless he might appear in his current form."  
  
The door clicked softly behind her.   
  
He looked down on the dagger. He had no doubt that the one who forged it would be as deadly as the weapon itself. But he really did not care much about the demon.   
  
The sole focus of his thoughts was the other one onboard the Black Pearl. He had difficulty imagining the scrawny little boy as a grown man. The other man would definitely be as beautiful and fierce as the ship he commanded. The grilling expectancy was simply killing him.  
  
//Come back to me, my little sparrow.//  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Please tell me what you think! I am planning to end the story in another five chapters or so. If you have any comments or suggestion regarding the plot or anything else, now is the time to let me know. ^_^ 


	20. chapter 19

Upon A Painted Ocean - 19  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive:   
  
As long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer:   
  
Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the college kid who are already broke.   
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning:   
  
Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language.   
  
This update is kind of late, but I was in a really depressing mood. I've recently read some totally awesome PotC fic, and they are so good, that they made my stuff looked like crap. And my confidience took a pretty heavy blow. _ But anyway, I guess some people are just gifted.   
  
"" speech  
  
//// thoughts  
  
****** memory/flashback (major flashbacks in this chapter)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Isle de Aves was a very small piece of land, that was half immersed in the temperamental and often unpredictable waves of the Caribbean. The water that surrounded it was as clear as the sky above and palm trees decorated the coast lines.   
  
The island hadn't changed that much from his memory, at least not from a distance. What laid inside the caves and scattered around the white beaches were a completely different matter.   
  
The late afternoon sun shone brightly into his eyes, and he looked down to avert the resulting stings. The boy beside him coughed softly, and immediately he sat back down beside the trembling form.  
  
"Will? Ye all right there, mate?"  
  
Will nodded between large gulps of air. The boy had insisted on coming with the rest of them. He had tried to persuade the stubborn lad without much success.   
  
Will didn't have to say much, other than turn those soulful chocolate eyes at him. He was appalled at himself for the fact that his weakness was discovered and exploited so thoroughly, but had yielded under the probing gaze nonetheless.   
  
The blacksmith was unwell, and getting increasingly so. He was somewhat relieved of the sense of helplessness when the small patch of land came within sight of the Black Pearl. It represented a solution to Will's illness, and if facing his demons could save the youth, he would gladly weather against the turbulence of his past.  
  
"Jack?"  
  
"Yeah, whelp?"  
  
Will pouted indignantly and mumbled some feeble protest. He found the blush that tinted the alabaster cheeks endearingly cute. He swallowed down the snickers, since the youth would no doubt mistake them as insults.  
  
"The Pearl will be all right?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"It's just that, we haven't seen any ships around the island. I mean, they might be lurking around somewhere."  
  
"She's made of stern stuff, a little surprise won't daunt her."  
  
".... I am... worried, with Elizabeth left behind and..."  
  
"She's made of stern stuff also."  
  
"Yes, she is...."  
  
The quite voice was wistful, he told himself to investigate the matter further in a later time. Elizabeth was actually easier to impel. She had simply accepted his decision without a word and went back to her brooding. Whether her meekness was resulted from the reluctance to be engaged in open polemic, or some other mood swing, Jack did not know.  
  
He reckoned that whatever troubled the relationship between Will and the lass must had not been resolved. She had worn a grim look from the night she returned to the Pearl and often stole glances at him with an unreadable _expression.  
  
//I think she suspect something.//  
  
He didn't think he was being obvious, but then again he hadn't exactly been subtle neither. Aside from Elizabeth, he had been on the receiving ends of several weird looks from both Anamarie and the cook.   
  
//As long as Will doesn't find out.//  
  
He knew it probably hadn't been a good idea to shadow the youth's every steps. But Will was sick, and he just wanted to be close in case the boy needed anything.   
  
//Keep on telling yerself that.//  
  
Fine. So he just wanted to be close to Will, period. It wasn't a crime. Wasn't he allowed to care for his friend?  
  
He turned his head slightly, the new position gave him a clear view of the incoming island and allowed him occasional glimpses of the blacksmith. His heart dropped at the paleness of the youth, augmented by the bleaching sunlight. Will had lost a lot of weight in just a few days. The skin on the boy's face stretched and bounded over high cheek bones.   
  
"Will, when we are on the island.... stay away from me."  
  
Will froze at the request, some indescribable emotion flashed across his face. Then the boy's eyes glittered with moistures. His heart skipped and he reached out with one hand. Will flinched back like he was slapped, Jack could almost see the red marks left behind by his hand.  
  
He cursed loudly inward. He hadn't meant to hurt the other, again. Will sniffed once, but the tears did not fall. He praised the lord silently, he didn't think he could take that heartbroken _expression again. Once was more than enough.  
  
"What I meant was... that ye should keep yer distance from me."  
  
Shit. That one was not any better.   
  
"I understand."   
  
"Ye do?"  
  
Will's face was down cast. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and wave his hands a little, attempting to get the youth's attention. Will didn't look up, nor did he moved a muscle.  
  
"I won't get in your way."  
  
"That's not what I.... Listen, the big badie knew me.... from way back, and the closer ye are to me, the more danger ye will be in."  
  
"....I can hold my own."  
  
"I didn't say ye can't. I just didn't want ye to get hurt again. I...."  
  
"Yes?" There was a strange light in Will's eyes, and an unfathomable eagerness in the youth's question.  
  
"I...."  
  
Whatever he was trying to say was stuck inside his throat, and he soon lost his chance. Gibbs shouted at him from the other boat, informed him that no guards were spotted, and asked whether they should just march in.   
  
He nodded in affirmation. The boats squeaked slightly as their bottoms connected with the sand.   
  
They were ambushed before Jack even set foot on the island. At least thirty men, all very well armed, sprinted from their hiding places behind the rocks and the holes under the sand.   
  
The fight followed was short and with little bloodshed. Jack had raised his hands as soon as their enemy brought out the heavier arsenals.   
  
He knew that Vann was expecting them. They were out numbered and Jack didn't believe in wasting lives in order to make a strong impression. He didn't struggle as the other pirate took away their weapons. Vann would have the answers he wanted, and getting captured was the fastest way to get to the man.  
  
Vann's men obviously did not foresee their quick surrender, because the black-clad pirates paused briefly and looked at each other with gawky uneasiness. Unfortunately, no one appreciated his flirtatious smile and cocky attitude. The pistols and cutlasses were refusing to sway from their appointed destinations of his vital organs.  
  
The stand off lasted a good ten minutes before both parties grew weary of it. Luckily for the Brotherhood pirates, a tall, one armed man arrived shortly after and carried further orders from the leader of the gang.   
  
"Bind their hands." The man had yelled.  
  
They were to be escorted to some cave deeper into the island. Jack went first willing and by way of example, since both Will and Anamarie were groaning with irritation. He smiled back at the two most fierce people among his crew, both to smother and reassure them.   
  
Anamarie was swearing colorfully behind him, while Gibbs stayed cool, yet nervously alerted. A flash of red caught his eyes. To his left, Zeke was wrinkling his nose and falling behind slightly, like he was evading some offensive odor.   
  
Will was quiet to his right. The one armed man was staring at the boy with a half curious, half demented gaze. He walked a little faster, stepped to the right and put himself neatly between Will and the bulky man. The man's grin widened at that, and he ignored it.  
  
After a fifteen minute trek, they crossed to the other side of the beach, in front of a tall cave. Once inside the cave, the one armed man turned and gave all of them a once over.  
  
"I believed that we have some business to settle, boy."  
  
Will took a step back as the man approached him with open maliciousness. Jack's eyes narrowed. He snarled as the man grabbed the front of Will's shirt and raised one fist. He threw the chains around his wrists over the other man's head, and twisted.   
  
A loud snap, and the man fell down bonelessly.  
  
He blinked rapidly, surprised at the rashness of his action and the protectiveness that encouraged his thoughtless strike. Their guards roared furiously, then quiet down abruptly as the body on the ground twitched. The sudden movement of the dead man was followed by a bright flash of flame, and the body began to burn.   
  
The crowd all jumped and receded back.   
  
Roused gracefully from the spiral swirling of fire and ashes, was the most beautiful woman that Jack had ever seen. Straight golden hair pooled behind her back, and large purple eyes adored her delicate face. She was wearing a violet dress with a white scarf around her neck. The wind caught the end of her dress and flailed it around like ocean tides.  
  
"Feisty, aren't we?" She smirked at Jack, "and very protective."  
  
Jack was memorized by both the sight and her voice before a sharp gasp shook him out of his stupor. He turned. Zeke was fuming and pointing one finger accusingly at the woman.  
  
"Ursella!"  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"Zekie. It's been a while."  
  
"It's only been six months... and I told you NOT to call me that."  
  
Her eyes upturned into the shapes of new moon. In Zeke's opinion, she looked way too smug and proud of herself. He grinned back, the stretch of lips came out more like a sneer than a smile. Inside he was swearing profusely at his own carelessness.  
  
//The sulfur I smelled. It wasn't Cane, it was Ursella.//  
  
The others were watching their exchanges with gaping mouths. All except Jack, who regard the two of them back and forth with his usual languish _expression, tainted with mild interest.   
  
"Zeke. Aren't ye going to introduce th' pretty lady." The pirate captain demanded with a leer in Ursella's direction.  
  
He rolled his eyes mentally and ignored the order. His gaze did not wave from Ursella. He was no oracle nor did he have any foresight ability, but he was beginning to have a really bad feeling about this. Zeke always trusted his instinct.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"Assignment... and to fetch you home."  
  
"I am not done."  
  
"You are *now*. Ezekiel, you are ill."  
  
"What?"  
  
"...and you are making the same mistake."  
  
"What mistake?!"  
  
It was pointless to argue with Ursella, Zeke mused unpleasantly, she always won. He stared, nonplussed, at the pirates from the Brotherhood as they pointed their weapons at them. He quickly calculated the chances that he and the rest of the crews from the Black Pearl could get out of this one relatively unscratched, and decided that he should try intimidation first.  
  
"Get out of my way, Ursella. You know what I can do." He warned in a low hiss.  
  
She grinned and he caught the flash of sharp fans. "Of course. No one would be foolish enough to challenge you head on.... which is why I have those."  
  
He realized too late the implication of that statement. Before he could put up any defenses, a rush of air pushed him backward and into the smaller cave behind him. A few of his crew mates yelled and attempted to rush to his aid. Vann's men had to whacked a couple of the captives hard on the head.   
  
He steadied himself and the first thing he saw was the glittering of the rubies.  
  
"Oh, no."  
  
She stalked toward him. "I had to enlisted a little help, but I managed to acquire most of them, all except that one." She motioned toward Will.  
  
Ursella stepped closer and cupped his face with both palms. He wanted to slap those hands away, but he was having difficulty just standing.   
  
"That one and the one Rue has.... his lordship sent his greetings."  
  
He snorted and shoved her away with all the strength he could gather. She applied no more effort on her grip and simply let go calmly.  
  
"I am doing this for your own good."  
  
"Yeah, Right! You've tried to kill me for how many times now!?"  
  
"I just wanted you to go home."  
  
He gave her the finger. His retreating steps brought him deeper into the cave until his back hit cold stone. There was nowhere else to go.   
  
The black pupils inside smoky grey eyes slimmed down to thin lines.   
  
Zeke wasn't going to just lie down and roll over. He supposed that he could always restore back his usual tactic and blast his way out, but the big bosses down under wouldn't take so kindly to the rule breaking. Furthermore, if he utilized his power, he would overload this body and burn it up in a few seconds, like what Ursella did with her disguise as Algol. Come to think of it, how could she possibly stay on the mortal plane since her human body was gone?... unless she was summoned.   
  
//But all the known scriptures were destroyed a long time ago.//  
  
When he found whoever did this, he was going to chop the moron up, grind the remains into micro metric pieces and use them to roast the idiot's soul in hell.  
  
"You can't keep me here!" He shouted.  
  
"I am doing it right now."  
  
"I'll grow immune to them sooner or later."  
  
"Yes, in a century or two."  
  
He was starting to understand why the fish girl was always so pissed off at him. It must have been a family thing.   
  
Zeke compressed all his thoughts to a central point and sparks ignited between his fingers. He pressed his left palm against the stone wall behind him. In one instant, he located the pulse of Isle de Aves; it was situated at the spring which rested in the center of the island.   
  
Energy soaked into his every pore. His mind reached towards the veins which surrounded the pulse of the island, and began tuning them like the strings of a harp. The ground start to shake and Ursella's eyes widened in alarm.  
  
//Earth beneath me, bend to my will.//  
  
Before he could finished the silent chanting, an invisible force rammed him hard into the wall. His concentration broke as Ursella swayed her index finger in a 'no, no' gesture.   
  
The rocky walls of the cave blurred in front of his eyes. He gritted his teeth as the sharp bolt of pain screeched through his head. The ruby pieces were glowing to the point of flaring white now.   
  
The setting around him switched with lightening speed. In his mind, the shallow water beneath his feet changed to boiling limestone, and then reformed themselves into desert sand. The echoes of the past were drumming into his ears from all directions.   
  
***  
  
A loud metallic clank.  
  
I take it that you don't like the blood.  
  
Amber eyes narrowed at the casualness of that statement.  
  
You killed them. All those people....WHY?!  
  
A small hand raised and the sword stopped dead in its track.  
  
You wanted to see wonders.  
  
A barely conceived hitch of breathing, but the hands around the sword did not falter.  
  
And....my sister? What you did to her.....  
  
One eyebrow raised elegantly.  
  
She asked me to.  
  
The other dropped the sword and lunged.  
  
LIAR!  
  
A flick of wrist and the other flew towards the wall.   
  
I am a demon, what did you expect? I did warn you, but you refused to listen.  
  
Sob wrecked through the prone form lying on the ground.  
  
I... I know... and now I must pay the price for my presumption and ignorance.  
  
Lithe form bent over the other.  
  
I don't understand. Why are you angry? Nothing I've done had upset you before. What do you really want?  
  
Dry laughter replaced the quite weeping.  
  
Ruby eyes blinked at the hysteria of the young ruler, then pain shot through his heart.  
  
I don't care any more.   
  
Red head dipped down and stared at the dagger sticking out of his chest, then cocked to one side.  
  
I don't care if you don't understand.  
  
Blood, as black as obsidian, was retracing back to the wound, as the skin around it knit itself together.  
  
I expect more creativity from you, Ramirez. That's not going to kill me.  
  
Tear streaked face smiled and raised to meet his own.   
  
His feet slipped from the sudden wave of dizziness. He half kneeled on the ground and watched as everything around him began to glow red.  
  
What the...? How?  
  
The other crawled toward him.  
  
I don't care if you never understand.  
  
One finger tip traced down his cheek gently.  
  
What I wanted.... what I wished for....  
  
The next sentence was whispered just above his lips.  
  
What I wanted was for you to remember me.  
  
Remember me.  
  
.....and think of me....   
  
Always.  
  
***  
  
He couldn't breath. He was not going to get out of this one, so he might as well ask. He stared up at Ursella shakily and had to forced the words out of his mouth.   
  
"Are you going to let me go?"  
  
"Yes.... when you are well."  
  
The last thing he registered, before all light went out around him, were the distant cries of the others and the velvet heat that cushioned his fall.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Me: *snick* Zekie is going to be out of commission from now on.  
  
Zeke: *twitched on the ground* F**k you.  
  
Me: Any guess to who Ramirez's reincarnation is? ^_~   
  
Zeke: I don't give a f**k!  
  
Me: You are certainlly in a bad mood. Don't you want revenge?  
  
Zeke: Yeah, but I have to get out of this f**king cave first.  
  
Please review!!!!! All comments will be worshipped!  
  
^_~ 


	21. chapter 20

Upon A Painted Ocean - 20  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive:   
  
fanfiction.net, PotC mailing list, and one story in the archive "Parley!". OK for the others, as long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer:   
  
Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the college kid who are already broke.   
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing.  
  
Warning:   
  
Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language.   
  
Massive OOC ahead! As for Vann's intention....well, what would anyone want from Jack ^_~  
  
Read and Review please ^_^  
  
"" speech  
  
//// thoughts  
  
****** memory/flashback   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ursella's scarf flew upward like tendrils of willow, as Zeke's body grew slack and fell backward. The semitransparent textile twisted around the slender waist, upheld the redhead for one moment before lowed him gently onto the ground.   
  
Jack's eyes had harden with shredding sharpness, although his facial _expression remained unchanged. He might not be the most caring captain in the world, but he really did not take kindly to people who beat on his crew. Besides, if there was one person here who was going to stir up confusion and wreck some havoc, he would prefer the person to be himself.   
  
"What did ye do to the boy?" He asked casually, trying not to show his concern.  
  
"Nothing." She glanced at him briefly before turning her attention back to the unmoving redhead.  
  
He took a calculated step forward and met no interference from Vann's men. His crews were astonished, and disturbed at the same time by the event. His own appreciation for her beauty was overruled by the looming foreshadow emanating in his guts.  
  
Slowly, she rested her knees beside the fallen form, and tenderly pulled the boy's head onto her lap. Zeke stayed motionless as she swept away a few wayward fringes from his eyes leisurely. Jack's eyebrows drew together at the visible display of affection.   
  
"Ezekiel is allergic to... certain rubies." She said softly, almost to herself.   
  
"Care to clarify?"   
  
"You should have listened to me." She paid him no mind and continued to breathed down the pale cheeks, "you don't belong here."  
  
Jack frowned. Her manner was unsettling to say the least, and he did not like to be ignored.   
  
"The ninth ring is your home, and always will be.... our most precious treasure." She pressed a small kiss on one of the boy's eye lids. The gesture was surprisingly chaste and devoid of any lecherous undercurrents.   
  
Still her perplexing behavior was seriously creeping him out, and dispelled the last shed of her sirenly allurement. His patience had long grown past the point of tolerance, and straight towards the boiling temperature. He wanted some answers, even if he had to throttle some necks and squeeze them like lemons.  
  
Full of concern, he shot a look at Will, who was leaning against the stone wall for support. He had no time to neither unfold or follow some melodramatic and no doubt devious plot in the other's scheme. If Will's face got any paler, he was going to start hurting people.   
  
He breached the distance between himself and the entrance of the cave with small increments. The stream of scarlet light washed over his body, and painted his tanned skin with a layer of amber.   
  
The air in front of him quivered with an anguish and stifling trumpeting. He looked around, but no one else had detected the shift of atmosphere. He inched a little closer. The sound amplified and the shrilling air lashed against his face.   
  
The empty space before him moved in the rhythm of heartbeat at his closeness. Suddenly the air materialized to the shade and texture of mercury before burst toward him. He jumped back just in time to avoid the sharp whips. A small sting emerged on his right cheek. He smoothed over the area with two fingers, they came back red.   
  
"Interesting. That's very interesting."   
  
He took a few more cautious steps back, which put him back to the relative safety with his own people. Soft murmuring and gasps surrounded him, genuine and poorly concealed. The distortion of the ventilation beside her at last grabbed Ursella's attention. She stood up and turned to look at the entrance and then at Jack.  
  
"You can sense it?" She grimaced, yet her body language was laden with obvious interest.  
  
He pretended not to hear her question, and went on glaring openly at the cave and in her general direction. She smirked at the silent, yet spiky retort and started approaching them with a graceful sway of hips.  
  
He watched solemnly as the mercury substance guarding the entrance first engulfed her from head to toe. Then with a inaudible popping sound, the swirl of silver flowed outward like water ripples, allowed her to pass and faded to a colorless void behind her back.   
  
She stopped in front of him, "You are full of surprises, nothing like what I imagined."  
  
"I must say that I bear no regret in disappointing ye."   
  
"On the contrary, captain. You have exceeded all my expectations."  
  
Jack forced the corner of his mouth to twitched up in his customary smirk. The air around him was saturated with an almost metallic coppery taste, and transfused with a nameless sour smell. Her shoulder shook slightly with repressed laughter.  
  
"Ezekiel was most determined about you." She pressed on, and he edged back in response. "And so was he. They were certainly after different things, but I must admit I can see your... appeal."  
  
She was getting uncomfortably close, and he desperately wanted to redirect her attention. Or else, he might took after Will and do something rash, like wipe that insufferable grin off her face with a left hook.   
  
He had always taken great care not to harm women, who were physically weaker by nature, and in his opinion, should be showered with love, not fists. But for this particular one, he might just make an exception. However, that action would most certainly help nothing, other than worsen his already grim situation.  
  
"Who are ye?"   
  
"Ursella." She crooned with a small bow.   
  
She was provoking him, and playing with him like a cat to a mouse. He did not relish the idea of being looked down upon as some inferior being, but decided that he should take advantage of this opportunity and collect as much information as possible.   
  
"And what are ye?"  
  
"Couldn't you tell?"  
  
"Not human obviously."  
  
"Obviously. ....I am a cousin of Ezekiel over there, a very _very_ distanced cousin. Did... Zekie ever mention me?"  
  
"If he did, I don't remember it."  
  
She was still urging him backward. The crowd around them parted voluntarily without instruction as he was steered towards the beach outside.   
  
His frantically searching gaze connected tentative with Will's for a few seconds. An almost invigorating heat passed between them. The youth's expressive eyes were overflowed with intensity and desolation. His heart sprinted, and pounded uncontrollably against his ribcage at the quite determination.  
  
//Will. Please, please don't do anything stupid.//  
  
He tried to communicate through the pleading in his eyes. A twinge of pain brought him back to Userlla's displeased face. She was gripping his bottom jaw firmly.  
  
"Witch." He spited out.  
  
"Wrong guess. You judged too harshly on those poor, poor participant of the black craft, I don't believe that they have succumbed to my level."  
  
"Demon then."  
  
"Wrong again, but very close. Ezekiel is a demon though, did you know that? He is a wish master, one of the most ancient races of the underworld."   
  
She giggled again and he failed to find any humor in their discussion. He was busy assimilating the knowledge of Zeke's true heritage. The truth did not anger him with its brutality, and he could find no sense of betrayal anywhere. It was very strange indeed, as if he'd already known in some deep down subconscious level.   
  
Then again, he mused, the boy had always been weird. Zeke was wicked in a clueless, boyish and harmless as long as you-don't-pick-on-me-first kind of way, if that actually made any sense.   
  
He stared back toward Ursella, who had seized advancing on him. Her head ducked slightly, and she was recounting softly to herself again.   
  
"He is one of the few pure breeds left, the only one escaped intact because of his imprisonment. Unlike the rest of us, he was born. Do you know what that means? Do you have any idea what that signifies?!"  
  
Her head snapped up, and the indigo gaze immobilized him with the whirlpool of emotion in them, joyous and hateful at the same time. His right hand went automatically to his sword, and remembered at the last moment that it was confiscated earlier.   
  
"BORN! Not created from the abyss and through *his* will. But born. Born with the power to rival the strongest of us, and the free will that *he* only bestowed upon the humans. ....our most prized treasure and the subject to all our envy."  
  
Her eyes were beginning to glow, but unlike Zeke, the pupils remained as rounded dots. He swallowed uneasily and she continued on.  
  
"...one of the few original inhabitants from the land of our exile. He has always been what he is, thus never punished, never discarded, and never tasted the acidic unfairness which was forced upon the fallen."   
  
With each words, he kept on backing away from her. A bump on the ground caught the back of his heel, and he stumbled out onto the beach.   
  
A pair of muscular arms intercepted his fall and twisted themselves around his mid section. He froze as they pulled him back against a hard chest. Ursella paused in her fierce raving, and instantly composed herself. She raised one eyebrow at the new comer.  
  
"You are late. I had to entertain *your* guest all by myself." She said with a pout.  
  
"A very fine job you did." An emotionless voice said above his head, "but I arrived precisely on time."  
  
He recognized that voice.  
  
"Jack."  
  
His face bleached.   
  
~~~*~~~  
  
His heart was heavy and his body worn down by fatigue. His steps teetered and he had to lean against the rock wall for support. Jack's gaze wheeled around towards him with concern. He bit the inside of his mouth at the sudden spasm of desire traveled through his spine.   
  
His hormone had halted momentary from the constant demand to jump the other, yet the rest of his body still felt the undeniable attraction between them. The craving was no longer consuming, and was slowly settling down to a more subtle anticipation, sank into the very cores of his bones.  
  
Ursella moved a little closer, and neatly plastered herself against Jack. Her advances went unnoticed as Jack was still locking gaze with him, but he saw red. A deep down rage was revoked within him at her flirtatious antic.   
  
//DON'T touch him!//  
  
Jack's gaze turned apprehensive and warned him off from any reckless attempts at retribution. He nodded once, curtly albeit reluctantly.   
  
Ursella continued to whisper feverishly, but Will could not make out anything other than a few hushed sentences. Jack was listening attentively while in the process of discretely backing away from her. His fist unclenched and he kept his sight trailed on the pirate captain.  
  
//If Jack isn't worried, it can't be anything too bad.//  
  
Jack tripped and stumbled backward. His heart leaped and he pushed against the masses around him in order to get to the other. He observed what happened next through the anxious vexation covered his mind.  
  
A man appeared from some unseeing corner and caught Jack's unsteady form. The man exchanged a few words with Ursella, and she chuckled mirthlessly. With a flourish wave of hand, she vanished in a bright flash.  
  
He watched Jack's face first froze with some intangible emotion. Then the hard lines around that bow shaped mouth rearranged themselves into a haphazard slop. The relaxed _expression was forced and the fury behind them poorly concealed.   
  
The other man was of indeterminable age and was very handsome in a cold, cruel kind of way. Medium length auburn locks fell freely below the ears, forest green eyes focused sorely on the trapped pirate captain.   
  
Jack stood straight and rigid within the iron cage of those arms. His heartbeat sped up with palpitation, caused by some unknown fear and forewarning. The other man brought his face lower and sniffed the air beside Jack's ear. Jack visibly shrank back. His hands itched. He had the most insane urge to charge the man and hack those trespassing arms off.  
  
//Don't touch him!//  
  
Jack must had sensed his skittish discomfort because the pirate cast a furtive glance at him. He deciphered the messages inside the ebony eyes with ease.  
  
Don't do anything stupid.  
  
He answered Jack's silent request with a wan smile. He was still of the mind set that he must offer some kind of amends for the offenses he committed against the other. In order to redeem himself in the pirate captain's eyes, he had to first regain the man's trust. He wanted Jack to be able to count on him again.  
  
//I am cool. I am calm. I can do whatever Jack wants.//  
  
With a firm set of jaws, Jack turned to face his captor. The simple change of pose had put the two into a even more compromising position. The rogue pirate had probably miscalculate the closeness between the two. At least that was what Will hoped, he refused to think that any deliberation was involved.   
  
"Vann."  
  
Jack's voice was plain, yet washed with an open loathing at the same time. Will was taken back by the maliciousness in that normally light hearted voice. He had never heard the pirate used that particular tone, not even when addressing Barbossa.   
  
"Jack."  
  
Will shuddered from the possessiveness in that single word. He was hauntingly reminded of his own selfish declaration a few days ago. The startling similarity in Vann's demeanor and his own in the pivot of madness was most distressful and disarming.   
  
A short silence followed before Vann raised one hand and ran his thumb gingerly across Jack's cheek. Jack stiffened further.  
  
"You have changed so much."  
  
"....ye are still the same."  
  
"Alive, you mean." Vann's eyes were twinkled with amusement, "Are you disappointed?"  
  
"Very."  
  
"Do you wish to remedy the situation?"  
  
"At the first opportunate moment."  
  
"I am glad you haven't lost your spunk. You have made quite a name for yourself. I am... very proud."  
  
"I haven't archived the status of mass murderer yet. Would ye like to contribute?"  
  
Vann laughed, the sound was crystal clear and echoed across the sudden hushness that befell the cave. Jack's choice of language and the unusual show of sobriety, no matter how obviously and forcefully induced, was perilously daunting.   
  
"I will have to pass on any personal involvement, but I am more than willing to help... in other aspects."  
  
"Thanks, but no thanks."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Vann moved both arms from Jack's back to just below the pirate's waist. Jack twisted within that grip to no avail and fell back on glaring defiantly up at the other.  
  
"Ursella had informed me that one of your companion is deathly ill."  
  
The man spit out the word 'companion' like it was a disease, and the word 'deathly' succeeded the former like a promise. Will steeled himself against the piercing glare that came next to the question.   
  
"You wouldn't want him to get worse, would you?"  
  
"What do ye what?" Jack asked sternly and quickly, as if the pirate already knew the answer.  
  
"What I have always wanted."  
  
Will did not like the direction this confrontation was going. It was as if the two of them were having one conversation on the surface, and another underneath the layers of false courtesy. One that was unfathomed by those surrounded them, and impossible to interrupt.  
  
"Yer terms?"  
  
Jack's replies were getting shorter, as if the rogue pirate did not want to waste any more breath on the man before him. Vann leveled his face and whispered something beside Jack's ear.   
  
To emphasis whatever point he was making, Vann motioned his men to redirect some of their weapons and aimed them at Will. He could feel the jabbing of hard steel against his back, precisely where his heart was. The corner of Jack's mouth twitched and the paling in the cheeks was perceptible even under the tan.  
  
"Will ye keep yer words?"  
  
The dawning of despair in that voice contrasted against the pirate's cunning personality and that did not sit well with Will. Faint warning danced elusively on the outskirts of Will's consciousness, like the foreshadowing of doom. It was cloaked with the illusion of distance, yet unmistakably approaching. Will's anxiety was magnified by the nervousness of those around him.  
  
"To you, always."  
  
"...very well."  
  
No. Will wanted to shout, but he could not get the word pass his suddenly dry throat. Those tenacious arms loosened, and Jack shook off the embrace. The pirate captain walked towards them, his posture serious without any of the usual swaggering.   
  
"Captain?"   
  
"Jack?"  
  
Gibbs and Anamarie asked in unison.  
  
"Go back to the Pearl, and... follow the code."  
  
Will knew he was not the only one wearing the incredulous _expression. He stepped forward but Anamarie beat him to the protest.  
  
"What about you!"  
  
"Vann and I have some... unfinished business."  
  
"But..."  
  
"That's enough." Jack cut her off, "Gibbs, ye are in charge."   
  
The order was final and irrefutable. Gibbs and Anamarie both stared hard at Jack, then sighed with submission.  
  
"Aye, captain." Gibbs obeyed resignedly.  
  
Jack turned and looked straight at him. His chest constricted sharply at the muted pain in those guileless eyes.   
  
"I know it's difficult, whelp. But go with them, and try not to do anything... stupid."  
  
"No." He didn't even need to think before answering it.  
  
"No?"  
  
"No, I am not leaving you."  
  
"...listen to me, Will. For once, just this once. Do as I say... please."  
  
He would not allow that single 'please' to undo him. He would not. Unyielding determination shone through his plaintively tone.  
  
"I am not leaving you."  
  
"...I swear that I'll knocked ye unconscious."  
  
"You can. But I will fight back."   
  
"I'll tie ye to the boat!"  
  
"Then I will just have to bite through the ropes."  
  
"Ye... ye stubborn brat!"  
  
"Yes. Yes I am."  
  
The tremor inside him was eating him alive. He would not leave Jack alone to face whatever danger or torture the enemy had designed.   
  
//I will not be cool. I will not be calm. I will not allow Jack to do this!//  
  
He would especially not leave Jack alone with... that man. His resolve was set and nothing, but death could break it now.   
  
"Damm ye."   
  
Jack cursed before grabbed the back of his head and brought his face upward. He braced himself against any possible assault, not that he thought that Jack would ever really hurt him. He was, however, prepared and no sudden move from Jack was going to unbalance him.  
  
A velvet heat crushed against his lips. He stilled and blinked rapidly, as long black lashes laid softly with in such close sight.  
  
//Oh, my god.//  
  
Jack was kissing him with a desperate urgency. His lips parted without any guidance. A scorching wetness thrust inside, cycled the roof of his mouth once, and retreated just as quickly. Jack pulled his mouth away before he could completely grasp the situation.   
  
"Wha..? Jack?"   
  
His voice was hoarse and raw. They were both breathing heavily as Jack gently brought their foreheads together. The pirate peeked at him through half hooded eyes, and breathed out against his trembling lips.  
  
"I love ye."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Pointless musing about names part 2:  
  
Zeke's last name Black is in honour of Sirius Black from HP. I am still only half way through the Order of the Phoenix, kinda figured that as long as I don't finish it, Sirius will keep on living. _ Damn you, J.K.Rowling, I SO hate you now!!!!!   
  
Tisha, I got from some wedding announcemnt on the local newspaper. So there is actually a girl, whose name is Tisha ^_^  
  
Ursella is the name of one of my classmates. We worked on some project together, and she is tall, blond, and I think she had violet eyes, too.....but they could just be contacts.  
  
Vann is from the vision of escaflowne, minus the wings and all that. I added the extra n, just because....just because I could.  
  
Please Review and tell me what you think!  
  
* 


	22. chapter 21

Upon A Painted Ocean - 21  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive:   
  
fanfiction.net, PotC mailing list, and some archives. OK for the others, as long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer:   
  
Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the college kid who are already broke. But Zeke is mine, so kindly keep your paws away.... unless you ask really nicely, begging also helps. ^_^  
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing and the summary.  
  
Warning:   
  
Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. Norrington's back (I so wanted to make him into a villain, but just can't) and Jack's OOC-ness is getting out of hand! And Elizabeth, what have you done!!!  
  
Would have updated earlier, but the stupid server won't let me log on. :( I won't have as much time to write, with school and all. I'll try to update at least once a week, usually on the weekend. And there are only about two or three chapters left I think, oh, my head hurts.  
  
Read and Review please ^_^  
  
"" speech  
  
//// thoughts  
  
****** memory/flashback  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He lowered the telescope as the Black Pearl floated peacefully in the distance.   
  
This was not good, he assessed the situation grimily.   
  
The Dauntless was in a relatively bad shape compared to the other ship, having just returned from the rather nasty battle with the Grey Owl. If the Black Pearl decided to engage, there was little chance that the Dauntless would come out victorious.   
  
He had followed on the trail of the Black Pearl with the Dauntless alone, and left the two smaller battle cruisers in Tortuga. It was a decision which he regretted candidly. That blasted pirate ship had somehow dodged the patrolling ship cycling these water and slipped into the perimeter of Isle de Aves undetected.   
  
Consequentially that left the pursuing navy to deal with the Brotherhood of the Hawks. He had sank the pirate ship as fast as he could, aware that any elongation could bring the enemy reinforcement running.   
  
The Grey Owl was surprisingly undermanned, and thus presented little challenge. Unusual for a pirate ship, even more unusual if the pirates were expecting an attack. It was as if someone had set the Grey Owl up not to be an actual defense, but rather some sort of means to delay any approaching enemies.   
  
But to say the battle had been won effortless would be a gross understatement. The pirates had fought back fearlessly, and managed to get a couple of good shots at the Dauntless. It was probably due to the fact that there were no ways of retreating for the pirates. It was either fight to the death or be arrested and then executed. Not a lot of options left to explore, he admitted silently. He would have done the same thing if he was in their shoes.  
  
"Commodore, what should we do?" His first officer asked beside him.  
  
"Prepare to fire." He said concisely.  
  
His first intuition was to blow the other ship out of the water. If he was going down, he would at least take that accursed ship down with him.   
  
"But, what about Miss. Swann?"  
  
He'd almost forgotten about Elizabeth. There was a great probability that she was rescued and transferred back to the Black Pearl. Elizabeth could be very resilient and resourceful for one who was so well sheltered for most of her life. That was one of the character traits that Norrington had always admired and approved about her.   
  
"Sir! They just raised the white flag!" Gillette shouted.  
  
"What!?"  
  
He hastily extended his telescope and peeked through the glass hole. It was true. The Black Pearl's flashy trademark of the skull and cutlasses had been replaced by a simple white flag.   
  
A trick, was his conclusion.   
  
He gritted his teeth with frustration. Just what kind of fool did Jack Sparrow take him for. He twisted the metal rim, which controlled the range of the telescope, with more force than required. The thin metal squeaked beneath his squashing fingers. With a longer view, he scanned the Black Pearl more thoroughly. He could see no movement on the top deck, nor any activities on board.   
  
A flash of ivory caught his eyes, he swayed the telescope towards it. With her arms flailing around wildly, was Elizabeth.   
  
"Lieutenant!" He called out, "Sail closer and prepare to board the Black Pearl."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"I want all cannons trailed on her at all time. If this is an ambush, you may fire at will."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
He wouldn't put it pass Sparrow to use Elizabeth as a bait. He had more than enough reprimands from underestimating pirates.   
  
He smoothed down hard on the bandages around his throat, the ensuring sting was followed by a warm stickiness. The pain grounded him against his warring emotions between his obligation to duty and the concern for Elizabeth.   
  
The wounds, which he had sustained from that ill-fated raid in Tortuga, had stop oozing blood long before. But after three days, the cuts were still open, even with stitches and as fresh as if they were made mere moments ago. The injuries would burn at the slightest pressure, and the constant discomfort often accompanied him into the sleepless nights.   
  
He really hated pirates.   
  
When he first joined the navy, his annoyance started as a matter of loyalty. As a respected officer of the Royal Navy, it was his sworn duty to slave the evils that infested the Caribbean. His naive reveries quickly faded with age and experience. Now it was simply the principle of things, pirates are the enemy of all vessels that sailed under his majesty's blessing, and more importantly, his enemy. It was the single pillar of truth, which he had build his career and his life around without query or doubt.   
  
He had always generalized the pirates to be without conscious, scheming, and greedy. His opinions had changed somewhat after his most unfortunate acquaintance with a certain pirate captain. Jack Sparrow was, of course, without conscious, scheming, greedy and much more. But the man was also deviously charming and a puzzling enigma. But damned if he was ever going to go easy on any of them just because of a shift of view.   
  
He walked down the stair and toward the side of the ship. They were sailing cautiously toward the Black Pearl, and all soldiers on board had came on guard swiftly.   
  
He frowned as his minded drifted momentarily, toward a pair of mocking grey eyes, and the supercilious curve of lips. The implacable resentment within him wired around with some other indescribable itching, grew slowly with each step. He vowed inwardly; he would personally tighten the noose around that scrawny neck, if it was the last thing he would do.   
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The boy was even more pigheaded than his father. His voice was nearly frayed with desperation and pain. Still Will countered each threats and arguments with childish retorts. Why wouldn't the boy just listen? Was stubbornness some kind of essential heirloom in the Turner family?   
  
He felt as if their roles were reversed. Since when had he become the mature one? Damn it all, he didn't wanted to listen to logic. He wanted to go back to being crazy, or eccentric enough so that nothing mattered to him, but his beloved ship. Where was a nice jag of rum when he needed it?   
  
"Ye...ye stubborn brat!"  
  
"Yes. Yes, I am."  
  
Why, the little....the boy even had the galls to admit it! Will obviously had learned nothing from all the time they had spent together. All those times he had drilled into that pretty little head about 'the opportune moment' must had been in vain. Why couldn't Will understand that nothing could be accomplished by recklessness and blind pertinacity?   
  
Maybe it was because he has been learning from you, his subconscious spoke back sarcastically, sounded eerily like Elizabeth.   
  
He promptly told that part of his brain to shove it and die. So he was being hypocritical. But he was a pirate, and everybody knew that pirates didn't have any common sense. And he was older, which therefore made him wiser.   
  
He stepped closer, and almost brought their bodies into contact. Will's sorrowful brown eyes stared imploring into his, silently beseeching.   
  
Will wasn't going to leave, he realized with heartrending calmness.   
  
There was something emerging from the pit of his stomach; a sweet rapture, expanding and filling his chest with warmth and tranquillity. The sudden surge of happiness almost overwhelmed him. He sucked in a mouthful of air.   
  
This was ridiculous. There was nothing happy about this stalemate, this butchery of reasons, that could and would get them all killed. If Will wasn't going to leave, he would just have to make the boy go, he made up his mind.  
  
His hand moved by its own accord and grabbed the back of the Will's head, tangled his fingers between the soft, dark trusses. Surprise flickered through the hazel eyes, that were quickly came on guard and veiled with determination.  
  
//I am sorry, Will.//  
  
With a shallow dive of his head, he claimed those pouting lips roughly. The body inside his arms stilled and the mouth against his slacked from the sudden pressure. He closed his eyes and plunged his tongue into the warm cavern.   
  
If this was the closest that he could get to heaven, then he would take as much as he could. The memory of those sensual lips would have to last him till the end of his days. He devoured that unresisting mouth, swiped his tongue across the back of those pearly teeth and drank in every taste.   
  
He felt the boy yielded under his persistent attacks, and pulled away quickly before that beautiful submission could drown him. Will's eyes were clouded, the pupils dilated and slipping in and out of focus. He applied a little more force with the hand still holding on Will's head, and brought their foreheads together.   
  
He couldn't stare at the other after that sneaky practice, and for what he was about to do next. Instead he pried his eyelids open slightly and peeked at the boy under dark lashes.  
  
"I love ye."  
  
There, he had said it. Admitted it. Blurted out the secret of his heart tactlessly, and as he foresaw, at the worst place and time. Will was still frozen by shock. He let go of the boy and his hands fell beside him with tired resignation.  
  
Will's breathing hitched. He braced himself against the inevitable outcome; the disgust and disappointment, which would replace the admiration and affection in those youthful features. He was no stranger to pain and heartaches. As long as Will leaves, he prayed inwardly. He would let the searing rejection incinerat its mark on his heart, and fret a irreparable channel through their friendship. As long as Will remained safe, he would endure any hardship.  
  
"Jack."   
  
Will's eyes were bright with unshed tears. His tightened his fists and held them rigidly at his sides; the nails dug into his palms. A few sharp stings, and something warm and sticky streamed between his fingers. He deserved it. He deserved all the scorns, revolts and sufferings.   
  
Let him bleed. If he cut himself open wild enough, perhaps this agony would bleed out of him.   
  
Didn't some long dead wise guy once said that, it was better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all. He gritted his teeth with impediment. Just what sort of bullshit was that! He was gravely mistaken to underrate this unbearable turmoil. He was deluded by his own desire and fooled by the most astute escapee from Pandora's box.   
  
Hope.   
  
He was fooled by hope, or was he a fool with only a fool's hope.  
  
"Jack." Will called again.  
  
There was a different tone in the husky voice. An ardent emotion blended with depthless yearning, and tickled mildly like some well-aged wine. He steadied himself in case the boy decided to lash out, or yell, or cry, or.... something.  
  
Will lunged, winded both arms around his neck and kissed him.   
  
The angle was wrong and their noses smashed awkwardly against one another. But his heart still jumped so high, that he thought it might juggle out of his chest. The boy's boldness and enthusiasm made up for his lack of skills. Will groaned at his lack of reaction, nipped his bottom lip lightly and pried his mouth open.   
  
He moaned when that mouth clamped down on his own eagerly. He shuddered when that damp flesh burned a path down his mouth and all the way to his throat. The last grip of control was ripped away from him without much protest. He felt lightheaded, drunk, drugged, only hotter and without the nauseating side effects.   
  
A voice growled angrily behind them.  
  
The severity of their situation cut through the web of desire which bind them. He cursed inwardly and pulled away with great effort. Will followed him and showered his face with butterfly kisses between breathless murmuring.  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
He choked and almost bit his own tongue. He felt suddenly.... weak and couldn't get any air pass through the large knot that had formed in his throat.  
  
"I love you." Will said again, louder and clearer.  
  
His brain was still on strike, and all of his bodily functions nonexistent. He couldn't stopped the uncontrollable trembling that was wrecking through his body. Mouth opened and closed soundlessly, he continued to gap at the boy.  
  
"Did you hear me?" Will inquired and sniffed. "I love you."  
  
"No." He finally managed to blurt out.  
  
"No? ....you don't believe me?" Will's eyes saddened, then sharpened with renewed determination, "I love you. I won't hide any more. I'll say it for as many times as needed. I'll say it until you believe me."  
  
He shook his head slightly, but inside he was melting.  
  
"I love you." Will chanted softly against his lips, "I love you. I...."  
  
A muscular arm cycled him from behind, and pushed him backward, while a sharp backhand sent Will flying.   
  
"Will!"  
  
He struggled furiously against the strong hold and shouted desperately. Fear clawed its way into his heart with the coldness of sleet. The boy pushed himself back to his feet, and turned to glare behind him challengingly.   
  
"Kill him." Vann order curtly.  
  
"NO!"   
  
Vann ignored him. His eyes widened at the clanking of weapons in response. Will snarled, _expression darkening and lowered his pose like a giant cat ready to strike.  
  
"Ye gave me yer word!" He reminded his captor as a last resort.  
  
The body behind him tensed and hardened like a brick wall. He ceased the struggling, and poured as much pleading into his voice as possible, without actually getting down on his knees and beg.  
  
"Ye gave me yer word. Will's life for mine."  
  
Will's head swirled toward him. The boy looked incredulously at him before took a step forward. Anamarie and Gibbs rushed forward and restrained the boy in a hurry. Will winced slightly against the foreign touches, even under a layer of cloth. The discomfort did not dull the boy's resolve, as Will kicked, growled and bite out a string of curses.   
  
Their grips were unyielding. He send a weary grin toward the two in gratitude.  
  
He took a deep breath and spoke to the man behind him slowly. "Ye promised me the cure. Cure Will, let my crew go, and I'll stay with ye.... like ye wanted. I'll stay by yer side... always."  
  
"And I can trust *your* words?" Vann laughed humorlessly.   
  
"I swear it."  
  
"Will you really?"  
  
"....I swear on... everything that I held dear so long ago... on their graves.... on *her* grave."  
  
Vann kept silent for a few more seconds before shouted towards one of his men. "Fetch the priest!"  
  
The ensuring silence afterward was nerve-wrecking and stretched out almost infinitely. No one said anything. Vann kept his hold on Jack with gleeful possessiveness, and Will kept his glaring unwavering.   
  
After what felt like hours, the priest tumbled through the bushes toward them. Cane's presence seemed to agitate Will, who had redirected his glare toward the approaching priest. Cane saw Will and did a double take. Surprise smeared around that wrinkled face. Then the priest turned toward Cane and screeched with impatience.   
  
"What do you want?!"  
  
Vann didn't reply. Without sparing a single glance toward the priest, the pirate calmly drew out his pistol and shot Cane with uncanny precision.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
^_^  
  
This message is for Christy the badger and all those other people out there, who were wondering about Jack & Will, and what happened to Zeke.  
  
First, I assure you that Jack and Will are going to be together. I mean I wrote this whole story just so the two can hook up. And I am totally not into tragic ending, I like my stories to have happy endings like "and they lived happily ever after." ^_^ So yeah, don't worry. There are just gonna be a couple more obstacles to remove and people to kill.   
  
Also, my apologizes to those who wanted Will to...eh...cure himself. This is ff.net and I don't think I could ever write a lemon. I am not really into the graphical sexual aspect of the Slash, it's usually the emotions and the story behind it that attracts me.   
  
As for Zeke...  
  
Me: He's busted, that's what! Ahhhaahhhaaa!!!!!  
  
Zeke: I sincerely hope you die.  
  
Ok, honestly, he's not dead or anything, but will continue to stay out of commission til the end of the fic. As for his condition, I don't know how to properly describe it. But you know how sometimes people are only afraid of something after they found out it's there. There has to be some kind of psychological term for it. There is actually an old saying in chinese that once you got bitten by a snake, you will be afraid of ropes for the rest of your life. Does that make any sense? _   
  
Anyway, Zeke spend weeks on the same ship with Will(and the ruby), but felt absolutely nothing. Ok, let's face it, he's dense, but he was only freaked after he _saw_ the gem. I am not saying that the ruby has no effect, it does, but faint. But its effect was magnified by Zeke's own mentality and paranoia, you know, with all the bad experience he had and all that. Things might not be as bad as they looked.   
  
A group of them together, on the other hand, would be a different matter. Zeke is in a, shall we say, coma liked state, sort like when he was sealed in the ruby. But this time, he can actually break free if he wanted to since the ruby was already in pieces. (But don't tell him that. ^_~) One more thing, remembered the silver barrier thing that Jack sensed, it was conjured up by the ruby also. It didn't do much against someone like Ursella (being a upper class demon and all that....wait, fallen angel actually, but whatever), but we all saw what it did to Jack.   
  
Zeke: I am going to kill Ramirez. This is all his fault.  
  
Me: He's been dead for thousands of years.  
  
Zeke: Human reincarnates.   
  
Me: *looking innocent* You have to find him first, any idea who?   
  
Zeke: Hell if I know! I'll just... kill anyone who looked, sounded or felt like him. I'll hit the jackpot eventually.   
  
Me: You are hopeless. _  
  
This is getting so long. Anyway I hope you enjoyed the story so far. Any comments, suggestions, random thoughts, just let me know :) 


	23. chapter 22

Upon A Painted Ocean - 22  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary:   
  
When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive:   
  
fanfiction.net, PotC mailing list, and some archives. OK for the others, as long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer:   
  
Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the college kid who are already broke. But Zeke is mine, so kindly keep your paws away.... unless you ask really nicely, begging also helps. ^_^  
  
Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing and the summary.  
  
Warning:   
  
Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. I am a Canadian, but my computer has American spellcheck. So my apologizes in advance if some of the spellings are screwed up. It's hard to keep it consistent.   
  
This is the longest chapter ever, I am too lazy and tired to divide it up, so there! This story is getting so dark and depressing without Zeke's ever pestering smartass comments. Oh, well, he will be back...eh...some time later. And the server still hates me, or maybe it's just my antique computer. Damnn you, stupid machine, just let me log on!   
  
There are almost a hundred reviews for this story! I am so happy! You guys are the best ^_^ Thanks you so much for all your support and encouragement. I am going to end this in two more chapters, even if it kills me!  
  
Read and Review please ^_^  
  
"" speech  
  
//// thoughts  
  
****** memory/flashback  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was time like this, that she wished she had legs.   
  
Tisha sighed softly against the steel chain which she had her left arm around, and stared into the horizon with dull eyes. Disappointment was swelling inside her chest. Will had gone to shore with that funny man who wore the black eyeliner, before she could steal more than a few glimpses.   
  
The exhausting journey had taken a lot out of her. It wasn't easy chasing after a ship with both sails and oars. It was even harder tailing after the infamous Black Pearl. Tisha's favorite pastime was spying on passing vessels and she had heard about the ship's reputation of being the fastest in the Caribbean.   
  
It wasn't all fabricated after all, she groaned internally.   
  
Well, she mused in an attempt to lift her grumpy mood, at least that stupid demon, who shall remain unnamed, was gone as well. She didn't think that she could keep her temper in check if that ugly face smirked at her one more time. Just what crime did she commit in a previous life, to earn her the pleasure of such pestering and intolerable company.   
  
Not a previous life, she reminded herself, it was probably what she did in this one. Mermaids didn't have souls, thus could not reincarnate. When they die, they were just... gone. Puff, without a trace.   
  
Her kind were born from pearls; it would take them thousands of years to mature and emerge from the white shells, but their life spans were very short compared to other magical creatures. A few hundred years, never more than a thousand. It had always occurred to her how ironic it was, a fraction of the millennias of being bred inside the darkness. To wait that long, only to live for a little while and disappear as if one had never exited. Their ranking was growing thin with each progressive century. She hadn't met another mermaid since her mentor vanished in a string of bubbles.   
  
The memory stirred up the uneasiness within her. Absently, Tisha caressed the shell that held part of her hair back. Her finger tip slide pass the smooth curve toward the sharp tip. She had carved the white shell and made it into a hair clip of sort. It was the only thing that she had gotten out of that whole infuriating ordeal in Tortuga.  
  
They were going to die out, she had realized that a long time ago. Just like the fairies, and the nymphs, and the sirens, and all the others. People would soon forget them and brush their presence aside as nothing more than fair tales. There was a strange comfort in being forgotten. If one didn't exist, then gone was all the worries of mortality, or immortality, whatever suited the case.   
  
It wouldn't have unsettled her if her mentor had never told her the story of another little mermaid, who had striven for more. A soul born from the love of a human heart, was what she had been told. She blamed her restlessness on the story, because now she didn't think that she could ever be satisfied with just fading away to nothing.  
  
She believed in true love, or at least, she wanted to believe in true love. When she first saw Will, it was like a splash of warmth had been injected into her body. Will, who was so handsome, with brown eyes so warm and entrancing, that they bewitched her more effective than any siren's songs. The ocean could be very cold, and she had been alone for so long. She always figured that love was a spontaneous kind of thing, that both parties would just know and click as soon as their eyes met. In reality, it was a lot more work than she previously thought.   
  
It just wasn't fair. Just what did that girl have that she didn't? Beside the obvious, of course. She thought that she was rather pretty, even by mermaid standard. She also had experience and wisdom, of some sort. She could sing beautifully and swim really fast. If there was a sea witch, she would also have gladly trade her voice for a pair of legs.   
  
It really wasn't fair. But speaking of Elizabeth. That girl had been acting oddly ever since the Black Pearl dropped anchor. The ship was surprisingly deserted, the weird looking captain had taken most of the crew to the island, leaving just a few watchmen behind. Not a smart decision, but then again, she reasoned that the pirate ship's notorious reputation should be able to keep all the other ships at bay.   
  
She climbed via the iron chain of the anchor and propped herself up. The top of her head could barely reached the rails and she peeked through the gaps between the wooden bars. The top deck was completely empty, and all of the doors seemed to be shut tight.   
  
There was some kind of pounding and shouting from below the deck, but she couldn't make out the muffled words. Elizabeth was standing by the other side and waving her hands around. That was when Tisha finally noticed the white sails approaching them. She gasped and her grips loosened.   
  
//Damnit, I need to stop doing that.// She thought as she hit the water.   
  
When her head broke through the surface again, the Black Pearl was already boarded with men in red uniforms. She pressed her ears against the side of the ship, noises vibrated and traveled through the wooden boards. Elizabeth was conversing with some man, there were also a few curses from the remaining pirates and the sound of metal hitting flesh.  
  
She swallowed. This was not good. She had to warn Will, but there was no way that she could get far on the land. A couple of long boats were lowed into the water from the other ship, she ducked under the sea in a haste.   
  
If she couldn't warn Will, she would just have to make sure the other ship wouldn't be in the shape to do any pursuing or fighting, once Will came back. With that decision made, she dived deeper and began swim towards the other ship.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The almost deafening gunshot was followed by stark silence.   
  
He thought that he had screamed, but what came out of his mouth was a strangled gasp. His chest was burning. His knees hit the ground, body folded, reeling from the agony that flooded over all his senses. A body crouched in front of him, hands pulled at him and a resounding voice boomed into his ears.  
  
"Will!"  
  
Jack's voice was the only beacon in the falling darkness, and he held on to it with teeth and nails. Icy coldness was spreading from where the fire was, sinking slowly into his toes like winter morning air.   
  
"C, cold." He stuttered out.  
  
Strong arms crossed over his waist, lifted him slightly until his cheek was pressing against warm skin. He breathed out against the curtain of black hair, and nuzzled into the junction connecting neck and shoulder. It was warm there. It was always warm there.   
  
"Shhhhh....it's all right, Will."  
  
The calming voice washed over him. His eyes fluttered open and met dark orbs. He never realized before, but Jack's eyes weren't all black. It was mixed with all shades of brown and gold, dark like the starless night sky, yet clear like a pool of spring water with shifting rocks at the bottom. A roughen thumb caressed his cheek softly, he shivered and almost purred against the sensation.  
  
Too soon, the touch left him. Jack was staring at some point above. The pirate's gaze smoldered, the quite seething was threatening to become a blaze.   
  
"What did you do?" Jack demanded in a harsh tone.   
  
"I cured the boy, like I promised." Vann was unfazed.  
  
Will shuddered, then turned his head slight and was instantly paralyzed by the sight before him. Vann was lying face up, eyes opened yet unseeing, mouth parted like some autumn leaves. The sand around the body was coated in blood, dark and rapidly drying.   
  
"Cure? By killing the priest? How?!"  
  
"He cast the spell. Most curses can be broken by killing the caster."  
  
Jack's arms tightened around him. He could feel the tense of muscle beneath his fingertips and the thundering of heart beside his ears.  
  
"What's happening to Will then?"  
  
"The boy is mere feeling the... after shock."  
  
His breathing had eased from the frenzied panting to a more moderate level. The burning was slowly subsiding, heralded the ending of the pain and confirmed the truthfulness of Vann's words. Was it over? The wilting agony stripped away the despair fenced around him and granted him new hope among the oppressing bleakness.   
  
However, his relief was short lived, because in the next instant, Vann had ripped away Jack's grip on him and hurled the pirate upward. Jack hit the other man's chest with a muffled gasp, eyes shut by the impact, then opened into another glare.  
  
He almost cried out at the lost of that warmth, the coldness crept through his spine once again. It was close to sundown, the sky was getting darker as the daylight was chased away by dusk. A strong wind blow almost brutally from the ocean, and carried with it the dampness and chilliness of a gathering storm. He shivered against the ever-changing weather; he didn't want to be cold again.   
  
"Remember what you promised me."   
  
The referral to their bargain earlier brought a pang of misery and guilty to his heart. Why was he always so useless? Why could he never do anything right? Why did he always need rescuing? It just wasn't fair. Was he not strong enough? Would he never be strong enough?  
  
Vann's voice was no more than a whisper, but Will had caught each words as if they were shouted right at him. Jack stood aloof, not a measure of the pirate's usual clownish self could be detected. The dreadful atmosphere was articulated by the stalling air, which felt hampered down even under the open sky, and intensified by the waiting silence.   
  
"I'll keep my word."  
  
That serious tone was unnerving. He ruminated over this situation. This wasn't like the encounters with Barbossa, with Jack bound, held at gunpoint and secretly in control the whole time. For whatever reason that Jack felt compelled to honour his words, Will knew that this time he couldn't expect the pirate to pull another rabbit out of his hat and miraculously save the day.   
  
"Will."  
  
Jack was looking at him now, pleading one last time for him to return to his senses. He met that discerning gaze head on, clenched his jaws shut and held his chin high. Suddenly Jack's head was turned forcibly by Vann, whose hand was clamping beneath the black locks, and evidently wanted to be the object of the pirate's undivided attention.  
  
"I take it the boy will be coming as well?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You are pushing it, little one."  
  
"He is going to come with me, whether ye allow it or not."  
  
"I can still kill him." Vann smiled sardonically.  
  
"True, and I will die with him."  
  
Vann seemed to be considered that, and then deemed the declaration to be genuine. Long fingers skimmed passed the coastline of the tanned jaw, and skated down toward the dip between the end of the neck and shoulder with scarcely any force.  
  
Almost tenderly, Vann whispered, "would I ever inspire such devotion from you?"  
  
"Neither in this life time nor the next."  
  
"Is that so... I will have to settle for what I can get then."  
  
With that said, the man swoop down and covered Jack's mouth in a bruising kiss. Jack's arms were scissored behind his back, and immobilized by a large hand. The pirate's eyes were open, lips pressed tightly together, refusing entrance to that probing tongue. Vann glanced toward Will for a fraction of a second. Furious emerald eye peered at him under the screen of dark bangs, piercing and.... what?  
  
Warning? Challenging? Paroling his ownership to the world? Will almost laughed out aloud. There was nothing, no kiss, no mark, and no insignia, which could brand Jack as the property of anyone. To Will, Jack would always be the epitome of freedom, the eagle which soared high above the sky. He didn't believe that he would have the strength to keep up, but perhaps, just perhaps that Jack would be willing to fold his wings, to rest, even just occasionally, against Will.  
  
Jack had said that he loved Will after all. Their mutual admissions earlier was instantly inflaming and their intensity would be forever etched in his memory. Heat raised in his cheeks, yet he felt calmed somehow. The raging jealousy gnawing at his intestine was quenched by that sweet remembrance. Jack loved him. Him. If they were anywhere but here, he would probably be jumping up and down while giggling like a schoolgirl.   
  
A hard shove from Jack finally broke that intimate contact. Jack, enraged, scrapped his mouth with the back of one sleeve furiously, while Vann licked his bottom lip, eyes half lidded as if savoring the taste. An angry, and almost primal growl was spurring from the back of his throat, at the superior look Vann cast him. He had never wanted to kill someone so much in his entire life.   
  
Vann paid him no mind, instead shouted toward some of his men. "You lot, escort the rest of them back to their boats." A pause and a crack of head, like the man was listening to something in the wind. "Take the other route, we are expecting company."  
  
The next sentence was directed toward Gibbs and Anamarie, who both gave the man extremely dirty looks, "Stay away from the island here fore, if you wish to live."   
  
Then Vann began steering Jack away, and crooned softly. "Come. There is something I wanted to show you."  
  
Will almost panicked, he wasn't going to let Jack out of his sight. A couple of Vann's men stooped over him, and motioned for him to get up. His legs stumbled a little, and he struggled to stand in order to follow Jack.   
  
The cool length of steel, which pressed against the inside of his wrist, caught his attention as he braced both palms against the sandy ground. His eyes narrowed. That's right, he still had Zeke's dagger.   
  
The ghost of a smirk flicked across his eyes, and he glared at that bulky form which shadowed Jack's every step. If those hands wouldn't remove themselves, he would just have to remove them himself.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The hideout for the most vicious pirate gang in the Caribbean wasn't as impressive as he'd thought. He was half expecting something like Isle de Muerta, with its skull shaped mountain, roaring of the volcanoes and the general foreboding sense that a pirate island should project. He suspected that Elizabeth's tendency to romanticize the pirates was beginning to rub off on him.   
  
Isle de Aves, in all senses, appeared to be better suited as a vacation resort for the wealthy and the privileged. The island consisted of mostly white sands, the stone caves to the north and a small stretch of tropical forest, that inconveniently obscured the southern part of island from the view.   
  
A muddy hill rose from the center of the greenish vegetarians, he could distinctly make out small trails of smoke. It didn't look intimidating at all, in fact, it looked more like a mound. For this, he was grateful. He adjusted the bandages around his neck with irritation, he didn't think that he was in the condition to hike up any kind of steep slope.   
  
They had followed the same track from the beach all the way to this cave. Elizabeth was half running most of the time, while he tagged behind her pensively along with the rest of the soldiers he'd brought. The footprints were muddled and distorted all around and some way inside the caves. There must had been some kind of commotion.  
  
He watched her lithe form search the caves frenetically, locks of dark blond hair swing wildly around her with each twisted of her head. They had both been shocked when they found the body of Cane, for the man was well known through out both Britain and her colonies. Elizabeth, usually being the first one to recover and spring back from peril, was now foamed with worry. He shook his head tiredly, his mood was subdued and his posture docile.   
  
This was the most exercise he has had in the last couple of days. The doctor had strictly ordered him to be confined to the bed, and had enlisted the help of his first officer to enforce the order. But being the highest-ranking officer on the ship did have its advantages, he'd simply given Gillette a stern glare, which had effectively silenced any protest from the lieutenant's mouth.  
  
Frankly, he did not understand what had made him agreed to help her. He really didn't give a damn about the blacksmith, other than the occasional pinch in his chest, which reminded him of the grudge between them. He had more or less accepted the fact that Elizabeth would never be his. His actions in Tortuga were a last attempt at convincing himself otherwise, and Elizabeth's reaction had diminished his hope wholly. If young Mr. Turner was what she wanted, then he would just have to respect her decision.  
  
Yet he still found himself yielding to her whim. He was accustomed to spoiling her and old habits died hard. Although it was still inexcusable to put his career, and not to mention the lives of his men in jeopardy for his own personal cause.   
  
He was disturbed further by the fact that all his uncertainty and dread were suffered over his archenemy, or someone resembled his archenemy. The Black Pearl was the last true pirate ship in the Caribbean, the rest he had send down to the bottom of the sea without much trouble. The brotherhood of then hawks paled in comparison, they were nothing more than contract killers. Norrington would be more than happy to see all of them hanged and would jump at the first opportunity to bring them to justice, even though this time his motivation had been anything but pure and just.  
  
As for Jack Sparrow, most of the times, he didn't know what to make of the rogue pirate. He had secretly admired the man's clever strategy when the pirate had commandeered the Interceptor, although the admiration came with no small amount of fury towards both the pirate and himself. Nevertheless, he wholeheartedly wished that whatever trouble the infamous Jack Sparrow had got himself into this time, it would finally finish the pirate off, or at the very least incapacitate the man from any more criminal activities. And if both parties of pirates ended up killing each other, well, he wasn't going to complain.   
  
"There is someone in there!"  
  
His attention was drawn back by Elizabeth's excited exclaim. She tilted her head and waved him toward her.   
  
He obliged and took a few step forward until a most horrid sound reached him. He hastily covered his ears, but the wailing like clattering slipped between his fingers and drummed painfully into his mind. It was like the cry of a Banshee, or what he would image a Banshee would sounded like. The racket was getting louder and vibrated through more violently, the closer he was to her.  
  
It was a warning, he realized dimly. He didn't know how he knew. It was a deep down intuition inside his guts, some kind of instinct, unquestionable and came naturally to him like breathing. He raised his face toward her.  
  
"Elizabeth! Get away from there!"  
  
She hesitated, unsure by his distress. The air behind her flowed in a circular spiral and reformed into some kind of silvery solid substances. A silver spike thrust from behind her, and missed her left cheek by no more than a inch. She turned and gasped. Her confused _expression melted away to be replaced by fear.   
  
She dodged swiftly, but not in time to avoid the silvery tendrils that rushed at her. She hissed in pain, while blood dripped down from the vertical slash on her left shoulder. He rushed to her side and pulled her behind him. The soldiers around them yelled in panic.   
  
"What? What was that?"  
  
She was shaking. He inspected the wound carefully. It looked worse than it actually was. The cut was very shallow, and managed to avoid any main veins. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her.  
  
"It's all right, Elizabeth."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I don't think I want to know."  
  
He really didn't want to know, but his curiosity was peeked regardless. When he was dragging her out of harm's way, the spikes had touched him also. Instead of delivered pain, they had simply brushed off his clothes with a feathery pressure.   
  
He looked around, his soldiers were scurrying around like mindless rats. He sighed. The qualities of men nowadays were simply not as upstanding as they used to be.   
  
"Calm Down!" He commanded.  
  
His voice was quiet, but it carried a unbreakable authority that instantly simmered down the chaos around him. The soldiers quickly composed themselves and rearranged into a linear group in front of him. At least they were good at following orders, he thought solemnly.   
  
"Stay here, Elizabeth."  
  
He drew out his sword and held it in front of him. Whatever had attacked Elizabeth had disappeared and the small cave looked as normal as any other. He paused a short distance before the entrance, and extended his sword arm. The steel blade encountered no resistance whatsoever. He took a small step forward and tested the empty space with a wave of his sword. Still nothing. He went closer. Then the sound returned. However, instead of the random chirping he had heard, it was softer this time around.   
  
"Did you hear that?" He glanced back.  
  
Blank faces answered him. Was he the only one who could hear it, he wondered.   
  
It was almost like... a song, some long forgotten melody. Something stirred inside of him, a hidden feeling or perhaps a flash of memory, wafted up from the deepest corner of his soul. The soft humming was like an ancient ballad, whispered the secrets between grains of sands inside the hourglass.   
  
A little girl's voice, laughing, crying, calling out.  
  
*** I wanted to be forgotten.***  
  
His poise faltered, but he caught himself at the last moment and stood straighter. He blinked and narrowed his eyes against the bright interior of the cave. He had walked inside without any conscious knowledge.  
  
"Commodore! Commodore!"  
  
Elizabeth was standing on tiptoes, and a safe distance from the entrance. He looked down on the limp body before him, and back toward her. He could still see tiny straits of silver, lurking around the edges of the rock walls.   
  
He shouted back at her, "stay there!"  
  
He jabbed the redhead with the tip of his boot. No reaction. He tried again, this time with the hilt of his sword, and harder. Still nothing.  
  
He kneeled down and turned the boy slightly toward the light. Then he touched the pale neck with two fingers. There was a pulse, faint and unnaturally slow. The boy's face was smooth and cool like marble. It was the same pirate from Tortuga, the one who had impersonated Jack Sparrow, the one who tricked him into defeat, and the one who mocked him mercilessly.   
  
The one who gave him those wounds, that were refusing to heal.   
  
"Zeke!"   
  
Elizabeth yelled. She had caught the boy's face when he turned those bony shoulders.   
  
"Zeke? Yes, this is the one I met in Tortuga."   
  
Norrington replied flatly. His right hand hovered above the youth lying on the ground, clenched and unclenched almost reflexively, as if fighting for some invisible control. He didn't know whether he was going to pick the boy up or just strangle him on the spot. He didn't even knew why he was having this internal debate with himself. The boy was a pirate, an occupation that guaranteed a death sentence under any flags.   
  
He poked the boy hard on the shoulder. The prone form did not even twitch. He looked around the small cave distractedly. There were some sorts of reddish glimmerings scattered around on the ground.   
  
He bend down and picked up a small piece of ruby beside him. The glowing faded as soon as his skin made contact with its smooth surface, but the gem was warm to his touch.   
  
This was definitely not natural and getting increasingly weird. Hopefully it wouldn't turned out like the last time, when Jack Sparrow and several other supernatural occurrences were also involved. He could detect a headache in the making. Absent-mindedly he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Almost in a childish whine, he wished that all this strangeness would just disappear so that he could lay down and rest a little.  
  
As if on cue, the rubies flashed brightly one last time and dimmed in the next instant.   
  
He blinked owlishly. The cave had darkened when the luminous glow left it. Now it loomed over him like some monstrous jaws with its teeth like stone pillars hanged above, threatened to fall at any moment.   
  
The air was clearer, like a mist had been lift. There was some kind of strange force radiating from the motionless boy beside him. It felt light weighted and heavily dark at the same time, and he could almost hear the steady pulsing of the other's heart like it was his own. It reminded him of their first encounter inside that dirty bar, when the youth had smirked down on him. It was the same sense of familiarity, the same sense of.... finality, like a long wait had came to an end.   
  
"Commodore!"  
  
Elizabeth's high-pitched squeak brought him out of his trance. He swirled around to meet her gaze, afraid that she was in danger.   
  
"The barrier is gone!"  
  
Indeed it was. The silver substance enclosed the entrance had somehow evaporated without a trace. Elizabeth bounced toward him with large strides, while his soldiers lingered behind with caution and tentativeness.   
  
"Commodore?"  
  
She kneeled down in front of him. He stared at her vacuously before realized that his hand was stoking something silky. He looked down, where his fingers had ended up between waves of soft red mane. He blinked and retracted back the hand as if he was burnt.   
  
The boy stirred from his sudden movement, but did not awake. Elizabeth placed one palm gently on the boy's back.  
  
"Zeke?"  
  
There was no response.  
  
"Zeke?"  
  
"He's alive, just unconscious."  
  
He signaled two soldiers forward, who then supported the boy from both sides.   
  
"Elizabeth, you will go back to the Dauntless, along with the prisoner. Your wounded needed to be treated properly."  
  
"But..."  
  
"You will go back, and don't try to sneak out."  
  
"I must defer, it is my fiancé that's..."  
  
"I will find your fiancé.... along with his pirate friends, IF they are still alive."  
  
"But, I want to..."  
  
"That's enough, Elizabeth. You are hurt, and your presence here would only be a nuisance."  
  
He knew it was harsh and unfair of him to dismiss her like that, she could more than hold her own. But the circumstances were pressing and they could not afford any diversions. He didn't want to admit it, but in his current condition, he was not sure whether he could fully protect her.   
  
".... Fine." She nodded meekly.  
  
He assigned a small group of soldiers to go with her. He wanted to utter a few words of consolation, but she had turned away from him. He sighed, but bid her a safe journey back nonetheless.   
  
He watched the small group moved further and further away, then looked down on his left hand. The bandages were secured firmly around his wrist, white and clean. He bit down on his bottom lip against the undulating burning.   
  
The crisp rustle of leaves displaced the silence brought on by the absence of Elizabeth's energetic presence. Nightfall was almost upon them and his men were still waiting obediently for his next instruction.  
  
"Let's go." He ordered and led the way.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
The last ray of twilight had sank into the horizon. The sky was dark, covered with rain clouds, gray and bleak. The seagulls shrieked loudly against the howling of the wind, as they glided together within small groups and prepared to return to their nests.   
  
The sand and stones creaked noisily beneath her feet, the sound added to the already accelerated turmoil within her troubled mind. Guilt, doubt and regret were embedded deeper into her chest with each step.   
  
The events within the last couple of hours fluttered across her vision, clear and accusing even when she shut her eyes. Elizabeth didn't knew what had possessed her to act so rashly. Tricked the watchmen and locked them into the lower deck. Sold out the Black Pearl to the navy and ranted out everything that she should have kept secret. All those irrational actions just in a pathetic attempt to get Jack away from Will.  
  
She searched hard and deep for some plausible excuse to justified her actions. It was for love, she argued. She just wanted Will back, and everything returned to the way they were. She was the one who was wronged. She was the one whose finance had been snatched away by a pirate. No one should have expected her to just stand by and played the helpless victim.  
  
She was simply... countering piracy with piracy. If Jack had stolen her beloved, then she would just have to repay the man by stealing what was most precious to him. Even if it was a crime, it was a crime of passion, thus should be pardoned.   
  
But be pardoned by whom? Herself? Will? Jack? Or the pirates from the Black Pearl who were currently in the custody of the navy? It was useless, she realized. Her conscious would not allowed the matter to drop and the guilt to fade.   
  
And what about what Will wanted? Didn't Will love her and want her? Hadn't they exchanged promises to stay faithful to one another? The sapphire ring on her middle finger was soon covered by a shaking palm. They were engaged! Engaged! Didn't that at least mean anything? At all?  
  
It was true that after their adventure with Jack Sparrow, their passion for one another had cooled down somewhat. Other than a few stolen kisses and a few quick gropes within the dark, they had interacted more like friends. But Elizabeth had thought that it was because they had all matured, and their affection for each other had grown past the stage of childish infatuation, and settled into a more stable and everlasting state.   
  
Was true love not often bred from friendship? Or had she been mistaken? She had always felt safe with Will around, safe and at home. With Will, she did not have to put up the guise of the perfect lady, and she could always just be free, to act however she liked, and be who she truly was. Will accepted her, all of her, the good alongside with all her flaws.   
  
Will was such a treasure, noble, gentle and kind. And Will wanted Jack. She wasn't blind. She knew, perhaps had known all along. But it was never anything serious, and she had always just filed it away as a case of severe hero worshipping. After all, who wouldn't want Jack Sparrow? She herself was not immune to those deviously charming eyes. Jack was, however, never interested in her, those clumsy attempts when they were marooned together were clearly pretentious.   
  
Jack hadn't been lying then, when the pirate told Norrington that he had been rooting for the commodore. So it wasn't the dimel in distress the pirate desired as a reward. The hero, or anti-hero in this case, didn't want the girl, but the girl's boyfriend. Well, wasn't that just peachy!   
  
Even though it wasn't unheard of. Two men together. She had been very well read in all kind of pirate literature after all.   
  
What did that leave her then? Abandoned? Discarded without a backward glance? She was never one to just idly accept her fate, so she had taken matters into her own hands, which led back to her currently conflicts. Was it too late? Had she already thrown everything away? Had her worst nightmare come true and become irreversible?   
  
//You will be lucky if either of them ever talk to you again, much less trust you.//  
  
They had cleared through the forest, and the beach spread in front of them like a blanket of sand. Elizabeth sighed, wasn't exactly looking forward to return to the Dauntless. But her shoulder ached and fatigue was gaining on her body.   
  
A just punishment, she contemplated humorlessly. She watched as one of the soldiers shoved Zeke unceremoniously to the end of one of the boat, and felt guilt reared its ugly head once again.  
  
She was lost, and no longer knew what to do or think.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hi all.  
  
For those of you who wanted to see what Zeke looked like. I've drawn a picture of him, it's in the PotC slash mailing list, in the Photo album, under Daisy Sparrow, but you can only see it if you are a member. _  
  
The URL is: http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/piratesofthecaribbean_slash/lst?.  
  
And if it doesn't work. Well, leave me a message or e-mail me, I'll e-mail the picture to you as long as you promise not to use it on the web without my permission.  
  
So tell me what you think. Do I write better or draw better?   
  
Zeke: You suck at both.  
  
Me: Shut up! 


	24. chapter 23

Upon A Painted Ocean - 23  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal, Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive: fanfiction.net, PotC mailing list, and some other archives. OK for the others, as long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the college kid who are already broke. But Zeke is mine, so kindly keep your paws away.... unless you ask really nicely, begging also helps. ^_^ Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing and the summary.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. Is it hard to believe? Well, I supposed the four hellish years I wasted in university did contribute to something. It's the textbooks, I am telling ye. The evil EVIL textbooks!  
  
Lan is the woman from Jack's first dream (back in chapter 2), sort liked his childhood caretaker. Don't mind her, I just figured that it was about time I gave her a name. Lan is Chinese for the color blue.  
  
Read and Review please ^_^  
  
" " speech  
  
// // thoughts  
  
*** *** memory/flashback  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He was marching between two pirates, both carried torches and walked at a much faster pace than Will would have liked. The flames danced rhythmically to the wind and illuminated the path before them with its sullenly glow. The sounds of birds and insects echoed through out the silhouettes of the fading trees.  
  
Jack and Vann were walking ahead of them, with the taller man's hand still obsessively positioned at Jack's back. The rest of the pirates had disappeared somewhere along the way. Will had a fleeing suspicion that they were ordered to deal with the 'company', which Vann had mentioned earlier. He hoped that Gibbs and the others were all right, and were having better luck than he was.  
  
He pulled at the ropes around his wrists, twisted them until they were two thirds of the way up his forearms. The rough material bit into his skin and cut off his circulation, he gritted his teeth quickly to muffle the hiss of pain.  
  
With the way his hands were bound, he could not reach into the hidden hoist inside his sleeve and draw the dagger completely out. However, after some more discrete fumbling with the ropes and the positions of his hands, he managed to pry open the triangular pad that covered the leather hoist, and nudge the end of the dagger partially out of its constraints.  
  
Keeping his hands in front of him and his arms absolutely still, he began to saw through the binds. Neither pirates detected his heedful attempts at freeing himself, since one's back was to him, and the other couldn't observe anything that was happening in front of him.  
  
After another ten minutes or so, they arrived at the flat plane at the top of the slop. Between the green bushes, there stood an ordinary looking house. It was obviously newly constructed, he concluded from the cleanness of its exterior and the freshly sowed soil of its garden.  
  
He watched as Jack's eyes widened with recognition and hope, then darkened with confusion shortly joined by grief and despair. Vann loomed over the pirate from behind and whispered something. Jack appeared unresponsive before he started to shake like a leaf in the storm. The normally lush and alluring lips had paled to almost bloodless white, and were trembling when Jack murmured something.  
  
Jack was rocking slightly on the back of his heels, looked for all the worlds like a lost little boy, who had been cheated and lied to for too many times, until the ability to trust had deserted the weather worn heart. Like someone who didn't know whether to run toward or back away when shelter was finally delivered. His feet moved by their accord until a sharp tug from his guards reeled his concentration back.  
  
Anger, sadness, confusion and so many other emotions were radiating from Jack in enormous waves. Each sentiment emulated against one another, until finally sorrow won over all. The bitter melancholy was clinging around Jack like a rain-soaked cloak. Its tenacious claws reached over the space separated them, enclosed around his throat, suffocating him and tearing his heart asunder. He couldn't stop the concern manifesting from not just Jack's despondent posture, but also his own lack of control of the situation. He hadn't felt this helpless since he watched Elizabeth and Jack walked the plank during that whole fiasco with Barbossa.  
  
He couldn't care less about the personal vendettas and wagers between Jack and Vann. The only thing that mattered right now was having Jack restored back to his eccentric self and Vann removed from the picture, preferably shot, stabbed or whatever. He wasn't going to be picky about the method. He wanted to shout, to lash out and just do something as long as he could wash away this stench of powerlessness.  
  
A sharp bolt of pain jolted him out of his depressed rumination, and he cursed before he could stop himself. Apparently he had misjudged the required force, as a particular hard shove of the dagger not only had cut through the ropes, but also buried its tip under his skin. The cut was small, but deep and slipped right along side his bones. Although the blade had missed the main veins, blood was still streaming freely from the open wound and trickling onto the ground. He looked down on his injured wrist, his gaze followed each droplets as they splashed onto the sandy ground like crimson flowers in full bloom.  
  
The noise finally gained him the attention of one of the guards, who had stepped closer. He kept his head low, reached into his sleeve with the injured wrist and drew out the dagger.  
  
"What th' hell's-"  
  
He didn't let the pirate finished the question. With a quick upward thrust, he slashed the dagger toward the man's throat. He kept the horizontal motion going and steady against the resistance of the skin and flesh, until the silvery metal broke free and emerged from the other side of the neck. The cutlass slid from the man's hand, and hit the ground with a dull sound. The man's mouth was opened in silence yelping, the slash on his neck was a gaping mess of tissues and blood. He jumped back just in time as the man fell forward and landed on the ground, twitched a couple of times and finally laid still.  
  
There wasn't much time to plan his next course of action because the other guard had taken out his pistol and aimed toward him. He spun around and hacked the dagger down hard against the barrel of the pistol. It flew out of the man's hand without being fired. With his free hand, Will punched the other man in the stomach. The man doubled over in pain, and he seized the opportunity to sneak his other arm around the man's lowered neck, clamp down firmly and twist. With a barely audible crack, the man fell down to join his fellow on the ground.  
  
Will paused slightly at the bodies on the ground and then inspected his ragged shirt ruined by blood. He was unfazed, which in itself unnerved him. He thought that he should at least felt some kind of remorse for killing those two men, but the adrenaline rush was still pumping fire into his veins. And after all that he had been through on this god forsaken island, he reckoned that it was safe to say that mercy was in very short supply.  
  
Before his mind could reprimand himself for leaning toward cold blooded murder, his attention had already drifted back to the two people stood a short distance before him. Vann was still standing behind Jack, both seemed to be immersed in their own little world and didn't notice the riot that took place behind them. He could see that Jack was visibly flinching from the unwelcome touches.  
  
With a barely suppressed cry, he threw himself at them.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
He felt sick. The scenery had instantly captured him the moment he set his eyes on it, but it could not distract him from the unpleasant knot twisted within his stomach. It was only until Vann grabbed both his forearms from behind, did he realize that he was shaking.  
  
"I've taken great pain to ensure that everything is exactly the same." Vann drawled beside his ear "everything, down to the very last detail."  
  
Under the light of the torches, the house appeared to be the exact replicate as the one from his childhood. Its sturdy walls made of stacked whole logs and the waist-high fences consisted mainly of semi-fractured lumbers, were both painted white. The roof was covered with various type of materials, from palm tree leaves to pieces of pottery.  
  
He remembered when he was young, the roof would often leak. He and the others had attempted to remedy the problem by using mud to fill the cracks. At that time, Jack had thought their solution to be rather ingenious, that was up until it rained. The problem with mud was that it tended to melt away, especially under storm, a tropical weather condition which the Caribbean liked to dish out more than frequently.  
  
The yard enclosed by the fences was empty. It wasn't always so bare, Lan had planted roses there before. White roses, pale and pliant like her skin. She would take such great care of them, watering, trimming, sowing until they unfurled into the perfect blooms. He had been jealous once, that she had focused so much of her time on the thorny bushes. The air around the house was always tainted with the sweet fragrance of the roses, mixed with the saltiness of the sea.  
  
He could still smell it. After all these years, as evident as if the flowers were still presented today. This couldn't be real. Deja vu. The deja vu of all deja vus. No. It was worse. A dream, an endless nightmare he could not awake from.  
  
A palm was running uninvitingly up and down his side. He was still shaking so hard that his jaws were visibly trembling. He opened his mouth to speak. The sound that came out couldn't have been his, for it was so coarse and filled with a most uncharacteristic vulnerability.  
  
"Why are ye doing this?"  
  
Why was he being reminded of his failures, of everything that he had lost? Was this some new method to torture him, to break him, to shake him until his very foundation collapsed in shambles? Did he not have enough guilt and regret bottled inside him to last into the next life?  
  
The grips on his arms tightened, and Vann's voice sounded surprised and almost hesitated. "I wanted to give you back what you have lost. You don't like it?"  
  
He wanted to laugh, would have laughed if his throat wasn't so dry. What a joke this was! Give back what he had lost? When the very person who offered it was the one who took it from him in the first place. And people called him crazy.  
  
"I should have listened to her and let ye drown."  
  
"...but you didn't. You pulled me back when I sought death."  
  
*** You have taken the choice from him, and in return you must give him a new purpose.***  
  
Lan had told him to let the stranger go, to let the draft sink. She could tell when a man had lost all hope with nothing but feverish obsession to tie him to the world. She could always tell, and she was usually right. Your kindness was your greatest strength and your greatest weakness, she had looked sadly at him, and it would be the downfall of us all.  
  
"Ye repaid me by killing every one that I cared about."  
  
"I repaid you by severed all the chains which imprisoned you and set you free! You were capable of so much more. So much more than this island, than all of them could ever offer you!"  
  
The world was spinning and he felt delirious. He opened his mouth and sucked in air like a starving man. Instead of soothing him and easing down the bile rising in his chest, each molecule seemed to be expanding, until they solidified and reached the size of fist, blocking the passage to his lung.  
  
"Why couldn't you have come with me?! I would have taught you everything that you ever needed to know."  
  
***Come with me.***  
  
That single statement snapped him out of his trance. The man had asked him the same question once, that night when the roses were dipped in blood and the house before him burnt to ashes.  
  
The house! He shuddered, the house was destroyed and nothing could ever replace it. The cottage in front of him was nothing but an poor imitation. The paints were fresh, its color undiluted, and its surface smooth without a single scratch. The nails mended the wooden boards together were silver in color, no trace of rust could be found. Everything was... new. That realization finally spoiled the haunting image for him.  
  
"I wanted you to remember me. If you would not feel the same, then I would bore my place into your heart. Whether it was by pain or pleasure, I do not care!" Vann's voice had leveled to a whisper. "I will have you think of me, every second of your life."  
  
"I hate you." He choked out.  
  
That, at least was something he could hold on to. It was the anchor that grounded him, the hatred and resentment, which had taken roots in him for so long, and... Will. Just Will's presence calmed him somehow.  
  
The blacksmith was near; he could touched the boy if he just reached out a little. He wanted to reach out, to clasp Will's hands in his own. But he couldn't, he couldn't afford to draw any more unwanted attention to the boy. He couldn't lose the only good thing in his life to another moment of weakness.  
  
There was some kind of noises beside them, which garnered his attention for a split second. It sounded like voices. First Will's voice, then the loud clanking of metals. What was the boy doing?  
  
Something rammed into them from behind, Vann's grips loosened by the impact and he wriggled out of the embrace instinctively. Someone was pulling at his arm and shouting urgently into his face. Will's brown eyes swam into view.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
Will was pressing something hard and sticky into his palm. Distinctly, he could register the shape of a knife, small, thin and slender.  
  
Will's head suddenly swung up. The boy cursed and dived for the sword laying on the ground. There was movement behind him, his fingers grasped around the weapon before his brain could comprehend the action. The presence drew closer, and he remembered the soft giggling voice from his dreams.  
  
*** Kill him and all your nightmares will end.***  
  
In less than a heartbeat, he had swirled around and drove the dagger hard into Vann's chest.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Gibbs kicked the body on the ground a couple more times just for good measure. The peacefulness of the forest was spoiled by the heavy panting of the wounded and the heaving gasping of the dying. His still-shaking hands fumbled with the whisky bottle at his side, only to found it empty. A long string of curses ensured.  
  
They had taken the brotherhood pirates by surprise and after a rather bloody battle, had neutralized the problem. All thanks to a couple of well- hidden weapons.  
  
Interesting because pirates were known as brutes, and generally didn't rate very high in the strategy or the plan-ahead department. It must had been something like the latest fashion trend to have some kind of sharp object tucked away on one's person. Or the crews could just be taking after the cook, seeing as how Zeke always managed to whip out a dagger out of seemingly nowhere. Young people now days really didn't care much about honor, and he completely approved, at least when the end served the means.  
  
"Are we going after th' captain." Anamarie asked while whipping her cutlass on several bodies to get rid of the blood stain.  
  
"Course not. Ye heard what he said."  
  
She stopped the cleaning job and took a menacing step forward. He jumped back immediately. Several of the others snickered. He fixed them with a stern glare. He was a pirate, he argued internally, survival came first and the girl was known to pack a very mean slap.  
  
"Coward." She spat out indignantly.  
  
He agreed wholeheartedly. Why? See the part about the pirate and how survival came first.  
  
"Remember th' code." He coaxed gently.  
  
"Screw th' code," she replied, "Th' rest of you lot can all rot, but I am going! He's our captain an' I ain't leaving him behind again!"  
  
With that said, she turned and stomped toward the way they came. The others looked at each other then back at him. He shrugged uncomfortably.  
  
How came he always ended up as the acting captain. He thought that he had mentioned several time to Jack that he hated responsibility. It was really very frustrating being the only one with some common sense on the ship. When this was all over, he was going to ask Jack to get a new first mate. He hoped that Will would stay and take up the job. The only time that Jack seemed relatively sane was when the lad was around. Then he could finally get a life and retire to some nice little port.  
  
The others were moving now, predictably, after Anamarie. He sighed and followed.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Will swung his cutlass forward and missed. Vann stumbled back, both hands covered his chest as the fabric underneath began to soaked with blood.  
  
Jack stared down on his blood stained hands with something akin to fascination. The sensation of having the slicking substance coated his fingers was almost like a soft caress. Feathery light, yet cold and smooth like the skin of a snake, with a mind of its own as it dripped down onto and twisted around his forearms. The blood looked almost black under the torch light, while emitting an layer of yellowish shine, grotesque and beautiful at the same time.  
  
The dagger was still clenched tightly in his fist. The thin piece of metal was vibrating, singing, crying out. No. Wait. Weapons didn't move by themselves. So it must be him then. He was the one who was shaking and thirsting for more.  
  
But more of what? More blood? To sink the hard metal into flesh again, drove deep into the muscles until its edge encountered the bones that would blocked its path, and even then he would hack the obstacles into pieces? To watch the green eyes clouded by pain and the ageless face bathed in agony? To gloat in triumph and laugh hysterically until his vocal cord failed under the strain?  
  
No.  
  
He wanted none of it. What he wanted was to curl up in some dark corner and just.... not think about anything. Or Will. Yes, he wanted to curl up in some dark corner with Will against his chest, bury himself in the welcoming warmth until the world around them blanked out.  
  
He looked up before his senses could be overwhelmed by the ominous clashing of feelings. Vann was laughing.... or was he choking? He couldn't really tell, with all the blood flowing from the man's mouth, stifling and altering every sound into the same monogamous gasp.  
  
"Well done!" Vann snarled between groans of pain, "You still managed to surprise me after all this time."  
  
Tiny rivulets of fear and excitement trailed down his spine. Beside him, Will threw one of the torches at Vann. It hit the man square in the chest, pushed him back further and brought Vann crashing into the wooden house.  
  
Nothing moved for one instant. He shivered and time resumed its natural flow. Then fire erupted through the roof and dispersed onto everything else. Like forked tongues, the flame licked pass the walls, twirling around the fences until it crawled onto the bushes around.  
  
He was rooted to the ground. This all looked so familiar. Every noises and every snapshots. The house was burning... again. The wooden beams crumbled under the stress and the nails yielded under the heat. Everything was shrieking, the house, the wind, the dirty beneath his feet....and Will. ....Will?!  
  
"Jack!" Will yanked hard at his arms. "Come on. We have to get out of here!"  
  
That's right. They had to get out before any more of Vann's lackeys come back, or before Vann could flip away the two tons of burning logs on him. But he wanted to stay, to stay and make sure the man was really dead. He was sure that he had stabbed Vann through the heart. Or had he? His mind was all clogged up, and the blade was kind of short. So maybe he should stay and wait until the fire died down, then he could dig through the rubble and....  
  
"JACK!"  
  
Will's shouting was quickly growing in volume. He didn't like the desperation in that voice; it was disheartened and he never wanted to hear it again. He shook his head to dislodge the bleary images and schooled his features into his usual languish expression as best as he could. He still wasn't in his normal frame of mind, but he could adapt until the shock finally left his system.  
  
He stole one last glimpse at the house, prayed silently that it would kept on burning until there was nothing left. Nothing to remind him and allow him to finally lay rest the ghost of his past.  
  
He took a hold of Will's hand and squeezed gently. "Let's get out of here."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
He was paralyzed, the numbness had spread from his heart to his limbs. There was a loud rattling around him and the smoke was getting thicker by the minutes. Only one thought was reciting in his mind over and over. Jack had stabbed him... mostly likely with something magical, just because of the fact that he could actually feel the pain. He laughed, the notion quickly turned into another coughing fit.  
  
It was getting colder, even though the fire was beginning to singe the tip of his boots. He reckoned that he must be dying. That realization was strangely comforting, it had been long overdue. Amidst all the chaos, he had found some small amount of peace with himself. He was, most definitely, going to hell. It was always assuring to know where one stands after all.  
  
*** Love can not be forced. If it didn't belong to you, no matter what you do, it will never be yours.***  
  
Funny how he was thinking about her now. He never even found out her name, people had became faceless to him for so long and their blood had all looked the same. He wanted to mellow alone, close his eyes and let his mind descend to the black abyss.  
  
"Careless. I warned you about Ezekiel's dagger, did I not?"  
  
Apparently being alone was too much to ask for. It wasn't an accusation more than an cynical statement of fact. He rationalized that he must had come cross as rather pathetic to warrant the use of such allusion like innuendo.  
  
He craned his head a little toward the direction where the voice came from. The impetuous action brought a host of different sensations, ranging from plain devastating pain to the annoying pricking of burnt skin in contact with air.  
  
She was floating in mid air and among the dancing flame, body inclined slightly forward and legs crossed seductively. The same lazy smirk hanged around the corner of her blood red lips. He moved his face back toward the ceiling; he didn't wanted her face to be the last thing he saw.  
  
"It would appear that your prey had ran away again. Disappointing, really. All this time, I had such high hopes for you."  
  
If she was trying to extract the last bit of rage from him, it wasn't working very well. He was far too gone to care now. He really wished that she would just shut up. It wasn't a outrageous request, was it, especially from a dying man. Then again God had never listened to him before, so he really shouldn't expect otherwise.  
  
"Why are you still here?" He groaned out.  
  
"To watch you suffer. You killed my pet, which means you own me some good entertainment."  
  
Of course. That made sense.  
  
"And where is your charge? .....all this time you was so absorbed in my affair...."  
  
"Ezekiel is safely tucked away. No one here is powerful enough to destroy the barrier."  
  
"....my little sparrow is very resourceful."  
  
He would always refer to Jack as his, because as long as Jack held on to the past, the pirate would never break away from his influence. He would haunt the man, and his ghost would stalk Jack into the sleepless nights. The pirate would belong to him, even just in the forms of hollow echoes of memory and the white etchings of old scars.  
  
"If Ezekiel had awakened, I will know. He will be cross, and there will be fireworks because things will get blow up."  
  
If she was uncertain, her voice didn't show it. This would be one last game between them, and he would have the demon played by his rules.  
  
"Are you sure now? My men had informed me of another ship..."  
  
She was interested now, as she swooped down and hovered just above him. The fire brushed across her fair skin like feathers and only complimented her radiance. She was clearly expecting an answer, and he stared stoically ahead.  
  
After an eerie and portentous stillness, she giggled. Then with great leisure, she inserted one well manicured finger into the wound on his chest, scratched all the way down and pulled it out before licked off the bloody tissues. He gritted his teeth, but did not allow the moan to escape his throat. Her manner was patient, but her action betrayed the underlined urgency  
  
"Another ship?"  
  
"Oh, yes. The British navy."  
  
"The navy?!"  
  
One clawed hand was grasping his throat, and squeezed with almost savage force. He really wanted to laugh, but his windpipe was cut off, and he could managed nothing more than the next slurred out word.  
  
"Dauntless."  
  
The violet eyes widened as her mind sorted out the implication of that name. Doubt and suspicion flashed across her face and he felt the wave of almost childish accomplishment washed over him with vehemence. That one moment of fulfilling bliss blinded his senses and he didn't notice the sudden increase of force around his neck.  
  
A snap.  
  
Then there was nothing more.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Jack had always questioned fate's highly unhinged sense of humor, and he had been proven right time and time again.  
  
Will and he had marveled as they managed to avoid bumping into anymore Vann's men. They were almost at the bottom of the hill when they met up with Gibbs and the others. Things were looking very well, that was until the navy crushed the party uninvited.  
  
The standoff had lasted a good five minutes now, either parties was willing to waiver first. He admitted that their relationship couldn't exactly be labeled amicable, but did the commodore really had to chose today of all days to exercise his animosity towards pirates.  
  
"You are all under arrest, pirates."  
  
Norrington looked to be on the verge of swooning, face white, eminently against the deep indigo of his uniform collar. The man's affliction must had not been as severe as Jack predicted, judging by the heated glares and the angry demands both directed in his way. If the commodore had energy to shout, the man probably wasn't that bad off.  
  
"I think not."  
  
"I don't care what you think! Surrender, you have nowhere else to go."  
  
"We are in mutual enemy territory here, commodore."  
  
"Yes, but I have your ship, Sparrow, and a good number of your crew."  
  
"Captain! Captain Sparrow, and ye can't expect me to believe that."  
  
"Believe what you will, *Sparrow*, but Miss. Swann was most helpful and I suggest you do the same."  
  
That was not funny, he contemplated darkly. However since the commodore wasn't known to be joking about anything, it was probably true. Damn. The lass knew then. Hell really paled in comparison to a woman's wrath. It was nothing personal, but right now he really wished that Zeke had finished Norrington off in Tortuga.  
  
Will fidget nervously beside him. Anamarie scowled, and several red coats scowled back. He was pondering whether to make a break for it before the ground between them exploded.  
  
Chaos followed.  
  
He ducked as a ball of fire scudded pass his head; he rolled a few feet and into a nearby bush. Will was gaping at the sky, as were many others. He cursed, yelled for the others to take cover and yanked the youth down and dragged him into the bushes.  
  
After he finally managed to catch a breath, he started scanning for the source of the danger. And there was Ursella, stood on the blackened earth where the fire had burned away a deep hole. Flame kindled, entwined with traces of silver lightening and twisted around her left arm like a snake. Each trail of fire and sparks crowned by the next, layer upon layer, until another orb was configured. She released the sphere; people screamed, dodged and dived in different directions. Her eyes were glowing dangerously, and she chastised them in a mildly annoyed tone.  
  
"You are not getting away. Come out, come out."  
  
Pistol were fired and swords were hailed her way, but none could so much so as graze the tip of her hair. As soon as the weapons came within close proximity of her, bullets would just glide away in an arc and the blades would be deflected off by an invisible wall. It was like there was some kind of impalpable sphere protecting her.  
  
"I know you are here. Come out! .....fine, I'll just kill every last one of you."  
  
She was growing profoundly angrier and her targets seemed to be sorely focused on the navy personal. The incandescent flare she wielded was picking them off one by one.  
  
Another explosion and the commodore joined them in the bushes with an ungraceful sprawl. Norrington coughed, shoulders heaved and supported himself with his sword.  
  
"What in the name of the God is going on here?!"  
  
Jack observed unhelpful and somewhat malevolently, "I think ye might be the one she's looking for. Ex-girlfriend?"  
  
"Don't be absurd! I've never seen her before in my life."  
  
From somewhere, Anamarie gasped in pain then swore loudly. Will tensed and made as if to sprinted out. He hooked one leg beneath the boy's feet. Will tripped and slumped back down against the ground.  
  
"You stay HERE." Then he turned toward Norrington, "temporary truce, commodore?"  
  
A pause, then "all right.... but you are still under arrest."  
  
"Sure, sure. Now, you distract her, and I'll sneak up on her from behind."  
  
Norrington groaned out an affirmative, clearly not liking the ideas of either cooperating with the pirates or being the bait. A fire ball skimmed just pass their hiding place, her laughter reverberated in the air, and discombobulated the screaming masses even more.  
  
"Now." Jack whispered harshly.  
  
Norrington leaped up, and ran in the opposite direction as soon as he landed on his feet. The sudden movement caught Ursella's rampaging attention; her gaze chased the commodore, along with an array of explosions.  
  
Jack grabbed the first sharp object in sight, which happened to be the dagger Will gave him, and hurled the knife at her vulnerable back. She swirled around with inhuman speed just in time to caught the blade between two fingers.  
  
With a rueful smirk, she tossed the dagger aside and raised her hand. A strong gust of wind, and the ground split right in front of him. Steam spurted from the crack and he hastily flipped back. He landed in a crouch just as her hand raised to wave again.  
  
Then she stopped. Gasped and looked down, the tip of a sword was thrust from her chest. Her step staggered and Norrington pulled out the sword from her back. She turned around slowly and glared.  
  
"YOU! Of course, it's you, no one else could do this!"  
  
Both of her hands were covering the hole on her chest. Something resembled black oil was seeping from between her fingers, and small trail of it was dripping from her mouth and down her chin. Jack fathomed that it must be her blood. She took a swing with one clawed hand and Norrington reeled back immediately, sword still held high.  
  
"You are not taking him away again. This isn't over! He will send others!"  
  
The ground shook and caved in beneath her feet. She fell but hanged onto the edge of the hollow void at the last second. Crevices and fissures of various sizes decorated the area around the cavity. Arms like tendrils burst out and encircled her, wrenching at her tight grips and towing her down.  
  
"NO!" She struggled harder, "No! I will not go back!"  
  
In response, a hideous roar resounded deep from the hole and a shadowy cape enveloped her entire body. In the next second, the orifice opened wider and swallowed her. The rifts retracted back like tentacles, and the ground returned to its previous flattened state.  
  
Jack blinked, stared down in awe. All was quite now, other than a few hitching and the sound of steel dragged against the sand. Will rushed toward him and engulfed him in a bear hug. He breathed deep in the boy's sweet scent and bathed in the silent companionship before disentangled himself and raising his face. Only to found a sword, smeared with demon blood, pointed just below his chin.  
  
Norrington said tiredly, "Like I said, pirate. You are still under arrest."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Zeke: You like to snap people's neck and describe gory scenes in vivid details.... I think I am beginning to like you. Me: _  
  
Just one more chapter to go now. Yes, Zeke will be back. I have it done, and I'll post it as soon as I get all the paragraphs sort out properly and add some final touch. 


	25. chapter 24 end

Upon A Painted Ocean - 24  
  
Author: Daisy Sparrow  
  
Pairing: Jack/Will, Will/Elizabeth  
  
Rating: PG-13 and rising  
  
Summary: When a mysterious plague hits Port Royal, Will and Elizabeth go with Captain Jack Sparrow to find a cure. But when Will is captured by the man who unleashed the plague and infected with a strange new disease that feeds on love things start to get complicated. Slashiness!  
  
Archive: fanfiction.net, PotC mailing list, and some other archives. OK for the others, as long as you ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters are not mine. I am making no money off this. Don't sue the college kid who are already broke. But Zeke is mine, so kindly keep your paws away.... unless you ask really nicely, begging also helps. ^_^ Credit for the title goes to Coleridge's poem and P.Speare who wrote the most wonderful Weiss Kreuz fic. Also special thanks to Darkdancer for the betaing and the summary.  
  
Warning: Same as always, first fic ever and English not my first language. Last chapter now. YEAHHHH!!!! This story is over 60,000 words, I had no idea that I can write that much. I don't think I'll be touching my keyboard for a while, school work is beginning to pill up now. _  
  
The last scene between Will and Elizabeth was really hard to write, especially the emotion involved. None of them are at fault, and I don't want to make neither of them into the villain. I had no idea what I was doing, it was this whole big mess. I apologize for any cheesiness.  
  
Read and Review please ^_^  
  
" " speech  
  
// // thoughts  
  
*** *** memory/flashback  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jack warded off Norrington's threat with his typical insufferable grin, and steered the sword away from his face with a careless wave. The commodore sighed, dropped his sword arm and surveyed their surroundings with an impoverish air.  
  
Neither him nor Norrington were in any better shape than the other after the attack of the maniac demon, and the same went for their respective crews. The current state of affairs was delicate to say the least. Many were wounded, and after the commodore's enthusiastic display of initiation, both sides had taken great amount of liberty with some pistol pointing and sword swinging at the other side.  
  
They were, unfortunately, at a stalemate once again.  
  
Jack, as always, had came to the rescue with some completely illogical, yet perfectly convincing arguments. Norrington reluctantly gave in after the first two minutes, possibly out of no other reason than to just shut the ranting pirate up. They had agreed to swap captives and let Gibbs and the others go. That was, given Jack stayed in the custody of the navy. And that, of course, meant Will would be tagged along as well.  
  
A rather smart trade on Norrington's part, Jack judged amusingly. He really didn't expect Norrington to be tolerate to the level of letting a shipload of pirate walk off without some kind of token. This way, not only would the commodore kept his dignity intact and fulfill his duty, the man could also no doubt make the lass happy by returning her fiancé. Not that Jack had any intention to let Elizabeth keep Will for any significant duration of time.  
  
They had also conceded not to fire upon one another until both ships were out of the perimeter of Isle de Aves. Anything after that would be fair game.  
  
Everything afterward transcended smoothly.  
  
By the time they returned to the Dauntless, with the Black Pearl floated a short distance away, the fire on top of the hill had spread to include almost half of the island. The clouds above the island were enchanted with various shades of red, the colorful semblance ironically mirrored the eastern sky.  
  
His crew became animated upon the sight of the Black Pearl and hopped onboard as soon as their boats made contact. Gibbs took command immediately, chopped off the ropes bind the two ships with a big axe, then cheerfully chased off the guarding navy soldiers with said axe and a few creative curses.  
  
Norrington had learned from past mistakes, and escorted Will and Jack down to the cells personally. Jack was flattered, at the same time he was also fully ready to seize any slips and manipulate the situation to his advantage.  
  
Nonchalantly, the commodore unlocked the doors to some of Jack's crews, captured prior to the incident on the island. It was part of their agreement, and Norrington was a man of his words.  
  
Jack found the cook curled up in a corner, sleeping or just plain out cold, and asked Will to gave the redhead a few good kicks to wake the boy up. Norrington's expression hardened at that and his brows creased slightly like someone just pinched him. Jack was somewhat puzzled by the sudden change of attitude in Norrington, but he wasn't a man to deny opportunity when it presented itself.  
  
With the commodore's back turned and the man's attention otherwise engaged, Jack pounced.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
He recognized her and her soft humming. The sun was high and the royal palace stood proudly in the sea of sand. He blinked, memorized by the familiar surrounding, yet had no idea how he got there.  
  
He wasn't a complex and thoughtful person, thus was never intrigued by the mysteries of the universe. If he couldn't figure out something, said something usually ended up either getting blasted or ignored. He wasn't terribly bright neither, and had always liked his meanings spelled out.  
  
In short, Zeke loathed the unknown.  
  
So it was reasonable to say that he wasn't beside himself with joy to be standing here, and watching himself, or someone that resembled his true self, dozing lazily in the sun and having a nice conversation with the girl.  
  
"What is this?"  
  
"It's a sea shell."  
  
A white seashell, curved like a half moon. He couldn't summon up the memory of its acquisition. Perhaps he had made it, smashed the white sands together until they formed into the desired shape.  
  
"It's beautiful."  
  
"Hmmm..."  
  
".... What's the ocean like?"  
  
"It's big... like the desert, but blue."  
  
Blue, majestic and cold where the sunlight couldn't breach. Bottomless deep liked the quicksand. The sea and the desert really weren't that different.  
  
"I want to see it."  
  
"Wish for it."  
  
"I can't. .... I can't leave here."  
  
She was bound, by duty, by love, by oath. He had liked her a lot, before he crashed her soul and scattered the pieces into the ocean.  
  
".... there are other chances."  
  
"Are there?"  
  
"Human reincarnates."  
  
He had said the same thing to Ramirez once. The young pharaoh had listened patiently as he tried to explain how the whole system of recycling souls worked. Then he had winked impishly, and stated that the other would never see any of it, because the other's soul would belong to him. He had liked Ramirez a lot, too, before the pharaoh sealed him inside the ruby.  
  
//Is this a dream?//  
  
It was very bizarre because he wasn't aware that demons could dream. His kind could stow into others' dreams and cause vast amount of grief and pain. But dream for themselves? Zeke always assumed that one needed a soul for this sort of thing, something that he fortunately lacked. It was the one thing that he had in common with the fish girl.  
  
It was also different from what he imaged dreaming would feel like. The wind did not ruffle his hair, the sun shone right through him and no shadow tailed his steps. Time swam around him, yet he remained static and dispassionate. He was dazed, but also aware of every passing second. He didn't think that he should be this detached, like an outside observer. Jack had always seemed to be 'living' in his dreams.  
  
//If not a dream, then it must be a memory.//  
  
But he couldn't recall ever having this conversation with her. She liked to sing. That much he knew, but everything else about her was all blurred beyond recollection. Sometimes a twinge of something would peak through the dense mist, more than often they were nothing but fragments of images, sounds, and feelings.  
  
Zeke rubbed his eyes with irritation. They were both mysteries to him, even after all the years that he had watched the sibling grew. As incomprehensible as the first time they met, and for as long as he had been stranded in that desert kingdom, compelled to fulfill an unspoken contract.  
  
The scenery suddenly shattered before him, the pieces morphed into ice, congregated around his feet, building and climbing toward him with alarming speed. He swallowed down the colorful expletive when a few sharp edges poked him on the legs. It was hard and cold. The sands underneath his feet were deteriorating into some sort of jelly like swamp.  
  
He didn't like being cold, and hated being wet even more. He stamped his left foot hard against the remaining solid ground and uttered a single command.  
  
"Burn."  
  
Flame erupted beneath the earth like a waking volcano, overcame the ice until the world was immersed in the color of blood. Red everywhere, his most and least favorite color. It wasn't difficult, dream or not. He didn't understand why Jack always had trouble controlling it.  
  
Things were gradually coming back to him. His head hurt and he swore lividly to have a little 'talk' with Ursella at the first possible opportunity.  
  
"Zeke! Wake up!"  
  
His eyes snapped open. Will was bending over him and a relieved smile soon graced that youthful face. He was sprawling rather inelegantly across the floor, which was swaying slightly beneath his aching back. Dimly, he realized that he must be on a ship.  
  
He scanned his surrounding and immediately spotted Jack and.... was that commodore Norrington? And all those red coats crowded at the door, they didn't look too friendly. Just which ship was he on?  
  
"Come on. We have to get out of here."  
  
He tested his legs prudentially. Still working. Then swept his tongue across both columns of teeth. All there. Will offered him a hand, he accepted it wordlessly. Jack was grinning maniacally and pointing a pistol at the defenseless commodore, who looked.... pale, but definitely alive.  
  
How was that possible, he groaned inwardly. Shouldn't the man be dead? No matter how shallow the cuts were, the commodore should still have bled dry by now?  
  
Norrington was glaring at him, however, the effect was marred by the forlorn look within those icy blue orbs. He winked at him in greeting and smirked as Norrington's quelling infuriation sparked anew upon its receiving.  
  
Zeke took the pistol and cutlass Will handed to him and that was when he noticed the bloodied sleeve. A familiar sense of magic was emanating from Will's injured wrist, the smell of blood mixed with the small tingling of his own magical signature.  
  
"Where did you get the cut?" He asked Will and rolled up the torn fabric to revealed the small wound.  
  
"Back on the island, it's not a big deal. Just a small--ZEKE!"  
  
Will's blood tasted sweet and mingled with some kind of fruity flavor, like he had expected. He sucked hard on the wound as Will tried futilely to pull away. The hot liquid slide down his throat and he almost purred as the warmth slowly pooled around his stomach.  
  
He could hear gasps and Jack's increasingly loud growls. With a long lick that finally sealed up the small gash, he pulled back and inspected the now flawless skin on Will's wrist.  
  
Not bad, if he did say so himself. He was not very good at healing, or any kind of white magic in general. Never had much patience for it to begin with, seeing as how it usually hurt like bloody hell and went against the whole destructive nature of a demon.  
  
"Ezekiel..." Jack didn't look very happy. In fact, the pirate looked positively outraged.  
  
//Hmm... possessive, aren't we. Looked like I missed the grand finale. Great, just great.//  
  
"It's all right." Will interrupted. "I am all right. Zeke just... healed me?"  
  
A short silence and a quick look over by Jack later, the pirate was finally convinced that Zeke wasn't trying to take advantage of the blacksmith, and dropped whatever revenge he was plotting.  
  
Zeke signed internally. Honesty, didn't he at least deserve a thanks. After all, he just broke about every code of conduct in the underworld, which was not good. It was bad actually, very bad. Despite the sheer amount of raw power he had, he held a pitifully low position within the clan, courtesy of all the failures that he had accumulated throughout the years. Although this meant that they couldn't demote him any more, and he supposed that had to account for something.  
  
//Goodbye, what's left of my reputation. And hello, the deepest pit of hell for all eternity. I am so grounded.//  
  
He sighed, this time, out loud. Will's grateful smile had somehow eased the frustration in him a little. He had grown quite fond of the blacksmith, and desired no less than the boy's continued existence. They were facts that he would never, not in a millennium years and not even under the humiliation of drowning, admit. Just the recognition of those facts was nerve-triggering to say the least. In order not to aggravate his depressing mood further, he decided to put off the excuses seeking for later and tilted his head toward Jack.  
  
"Are we kidnapping him?"  
  
He motioned toward Norrington, who cringed away a little at the hopeful gleam in his eyes. Nothing liked dousing in some wicked and illegal activities to deter one from the important issues at hand, and restore one's spirit.  
  
"Aye. The good commodore here, will be our ticket off this boat."  
  
"You won't get away with this!" Norrington countered with heat.  
  
"Of course, I will. Ye just watch me, and kindly keep yer mouth shut, commodore. Now out of me way!" Jack sneered toward the guards at the door.  
  
"They will not." Norrington's voice was weighted down by exhaustion, yet held an unquestionable authority, "shoot them!" At the guards' hesitation, the commodore repeated, louder. "Shoot them! That's an order!"  
  
Will tensed beside him, mouth opened a little as if wanted to make some apropos comments to stop the seemingly inevitable mayhem. Zeke chewed his lips thoughtfully until the tension inside the room was on the verge of exploding, then spoke in a flat tone.  
  
"I am staying."  
  
Silence.  
  
//......I really am the king of impulsive and brainless action today.//  
  
Three pairs of eyes had widened at his declaration. Jack turned slightly to face him and raised an eyebrow. Will was looked at him in confusion while the commodore stared at him with a blank face.  
  
"What? Zeke, what are you..." Will started.  
  
"Trying to pull?" Jack finished.  
  
//Oh, great. Just *what* did I miss. Screw this assignment. I gave up.//  
  
"I wanted to ask the commodore something," Norrington's eyes narrowed suspiciously at that statement and he continued. "You two go ahead."  
  
"But Zeke..." Will tried to argue and he quickly silenced the boy with a wave.  
  
"You know what I am."  
  
Whatever other objection that Will was issuing was lost amid Jack's soft snickering. Zeke cocked his head to the side and regarded his captain coolly. The pirate shrugged before took a hold of Will's arm and dragged the boy aside. He raised his pistol as soon as Jack lowered his, and pointed it straight at Norrington's face.  
  
"Very well, Mr. Black." Jack droned, "I am leaving this in yer capable hands."  
  
"Aye, captain." He smiled.  
  
Jack smirked back.  
  
He turned toward the commodore, walked up a few steps and jabbed the barrel of his pistol under Norrington's chin none too gently. He beamed angelically at the man, closed his eyes for one moment, allowed the change of pupils to settle in before opened them again. Norrington gasped, surprise fluttered across that serious face, and somehow managed to soften the stern lines.  
  
"Commodore, tell your men to step aside."  
  
"Wha... what the?!"  
  
Norrington plastered himself against the cabin wall, but did not cower in fear as he would have liked to see. Was the split pupils not creepy enough? He wasn't losing his touch, was he? This day simply couldn't get any worse.  
  
Fine. He leaned closer, direct into the commodore's personal space, and baring his fangs as he scowled. Norrington shivered, and hit the back of his head against the wall in an effort to put more distance between them.  
  
"Tell your men to step aside. Or I promise you there will be *hell* to pay."  
  
The surprises were slowly being overturned by awareness and something very keen to recognition. Norrington shook his head, eyes clouded over for one instant before refocused back toward him.  
  
"....let them go." The commodore muttered after a few seconds.  
  
Zeke blinked, slightly confused, which somewhat spoiled the diabolic image. He was almost ready to use some of the fancier tricks.  
  
The guards scurried away and allowed the two to pass. Will lingered at the door, one hand went toward the other wrist and said softly.  
  
"Zeke..... be careful."  
  
"....sure.... and.... you....eh... do the same."  
  
Will fixed him with a strange look, nodded and followed Jack outside.  
  
He whispered quietly to himself when their forms disappeared out of the door, "....and pray that we don't meet again."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Elizabeth was waiting for them just outside of the door. Feral locks were painted pure gold by the first ray of dawn, and flying wildly in the temperamental wind. She stood rigid and still like a stature, but the pose only accented the fragility in that willowy frame.  
  
Jack paused in front of her. Her stance faltered slightly, but refused to acknowledge his presence as she kept her gaze fixed on the floor. Jack's shoulders tensed, the pirate glanced back at him, then walked away without a word.  
  
Once the pirate was a good distance away, Elizabeth moved, inserted herself before Will and obscured his view of the pirate captain. His quickened pace came to an abrupt stop and he hesitated as she raised her head.  
  
He forced out a smile, and regretted it as soon as her lips trembled. With a deep breath, he rounded up all his courage and resolution and began slowly.  
  
"Elizabeth, I...."  
  
He was interrupted by a delicate hand, pressed gently against his lips. Elizabeth's eyes were bright, almost translucent like glasses, yet unreadable at the same time. He tried to inhale pass the large knot in his throat and felt his eyes pricked slightly.  
  
"Will?"  
  
A question, small and hopeful. His heart ached at the abiding sadness on her face. To delay the inevitable now would be an unnecessary cruelty.  
  
"Elizabeth, you are like... a sister to me.... and will always be my best friend." He stammered against the warmth of her finger tips.  
  
Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her expression withdrawn. He could felt the frigid tension strained through her body, collated against the scorching pill of guilt and remorse clustered in his chest.  
  
Almost of their own volition, his hands dashed out and grasped hers. They had been through so much together, from triumphing over the threat of Barbossa to surviving the milder yet no less menacing years of adolescent. After all these time, he was still astonished to just touch her and to fit her slender hands so perfectly into his palms.  
  
"I love you."  
  
It was the unshakable truth, and as clear as the cerulean skies. He would always love her, admire her from afar, and worship her like an idol. Even though she was no longer unattainable to him, she had been above him and out of his reach for so long that his heart could not treat her as anything else. He loved her, her strength, her sincerity and the most of all, the idea of being with her.  
  
Elizabeth had everything that he had ever wished for. A loving father who adored her, popularity within the community, and the seemingly perfect life. While Will always had to struggle for everything he had, be it recognition, affection or just plain acknowledgment. Did he ever really wanted to be with her? Or had his brain simply decided that if he couldn't have her life, then being close to her and salvage some of her glory would have to be enough.  
  
She was a dream, an escape from the ever ending worries of life, an anchor to ground him against the longing for the sea. But now, now he did not wanted to live in the dream of his own making anymore, the fantasy world no longer appealed to him, not when he had something so real, so passionate, so burning with life. Not when he had Jack.  
  
"But...but I am.... in love with Jack."  
  
He watched the world fell apart in her eyes, and that fiery spirit flickered hopelessly against the agonizing storm before started to extinguish. His grips tightened on her wrist.  
  
"No, Elizabeth! Don't.... don't let me do this to you."  
  
"You are leaving me." She answered, like she hadn't heard his protest.  
  
"I... I am sorry. I couldn't never ask for your forgiveness. But I... I..."  
  
He couldn't go on, the air was caught in his throat. It would have been easier if she had cried, yelled or just slapped him. Anything, but this vacant look in her eyes.  
  
"You are leaving me." She repeated, shoulders heaved with the effort of scarcely held control.  
  
"Elizabeth...."  
  
He wanted to weep in shame, even though the logical part of his mind kept on telling him that there was no shame in fighting for what one wanted. Excuses! He shouted back furiously. All excuses, and look what he had done.  
  
But he couldn't go back now. He didn't want to go back. Nothing would have ever been the same. He had a taste of the purest ambrosia that is love, and he wanted more. Wasn't it human nature to be selfish and greedy? He was starving and he would latch onto Jack's heart, and never, ever let go.  
  
"I am sorry, Elizabeth."  
  
With unsteady fingers, he unclasped the chain around his neck. The ruby ring rolled onto his palm with a small nudge. He turned her left hand palms up and dropped the ring gently.  
  
"I am so sorry.... but I must follow my heart."  
  
She sniffed once, but the tears did not fell. She enclosed her palm around the ring and stared right into his eyes.  
  
"Will, I love you."  
  
It wasn't a last desperate pleading, there was newly mustered dignity in her voice. It was a simple statement of fact. A fact that pounded sharp nails of guilty into his heart. But it was sincere and true, just like his affection for her was. And he couldn't deny the small comfort in knowing that she bear no ill feeling toward him. Even though he had wanted her to hate him. Hatred was no less than what he deserved; it would be an outlet for her turmoil.  
  
"I... I couldn't love you the way you wanted. You deserve so much more, Elizabeth. So much better than I could ever offer." He paused, then continued in a firmer manner. "You will always have a special place in my heart."  
  
"A special place? But it will never be large enough to keep you by my side." She said resignedly.  
  
"It... wouldn't have been fair. Not to you, not to me...and...."  
  
"And not to Jack...."  
  
"I... I know you will be all right. Port Royal is safe now that Cane is dead, and I am sure the navy will return there shortly. You will be all right. You have always been strong."  
  
"Strong? Will I ever be strong enough?"  
  
"I know you will. Don't lose yourself, Elizabeth....and forget me." He turned to leave.  
  
"Will." She called and gripped his arm, "...I love you. So...so..." The sob was threatening to break through her carefully constructed mask, "so....be...be happy."  
  
The corner of her mouth convulsed, a mirthless, ironic twitch of lips masquerading as a smile. He couldn't watch and he couldn't avert his gaze neither. He brought her clenched fists closer to him, and pressed one last kiss onto her whiten knuckles.  
  
"Goodbye, Elizabeth."  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
Norrington's irritation could not be concealed by his mask of carefully controlled calmness. He stared glumly at the Black Pearl, which was sailing further and further away.  
  
"Gillette. Why are we not pursuing?"  
  
Lieutenant Gillette stuttered out nervously, "The ship won't turn, sir."  
  
"Won't turn?" His eyes narrowed.  
  
"Y, yes. Everything seemed to be functional, but...."  
  
His patience was hanging by a thread. "I don't care what, just fix it."  
  
"Y, yes, sir." Gillette swallowed and all but bolted.  
  
"Better take it as a sign, commodore. You aren't meant to go after them."  
  
He turned toward the boy beside him. The redhead glanced at him, then returned to watch the departing pirate ship with a faraway expression.  
  
He took a deep breath, "What did you do?"  
  
A slight title of head and those fine eyebrows creased together. "What made you think I did anything?"  
  
The boy appeared genuinely puzzled. He remained skeptical. He didn't know why, but an alarm was ringing in the back of his head, warned him not to trust that veneer of innocent. That and the fact that the boy was a pirate, thus naturally untrustworthy, he reminded himself as a side note.  
  
"Did you not?"  
  
Lips pressed into a thin line, he strode closer. The soldiers, who stood guarding the boy, edged back a little. He halted a few inches in front of the lank form, and loomed over, using his height advantage as a mean of intimidation.  
  
In his best commodore voice, he repeated. "Did you not?"  
  
That warranted him a slight chuckle. The crystal sound cased the tumultuous whirlpool inside him to spin faster. His head hurt. His wounds hurt. In fact, almost every joints inside his body was throbbing painfully. Almost as a defense mechanism, his temper flared.  
  
"Whatever witch craft you are practicing... that made your eyes... and now the Dauntless..."  
  
For some reason, he couldn't say it. In reality, he didn't understand what happened earlier. Was it real or was it only an illusion conjured up by his weary mind. It must had been the lack of sleep, he reasoned.  
  
"I am a demon."  
  
"......"  
  
Another chuckle.  
  
"Didn't expect you to believe it anyway. But I really didn't do that. It was either a really bad turn of karma or the fish girl, in which case I am rooting for her."  
  
The boy laughed softly and he froze.  
  
The morning sun painted an almost surreally beautiful background. The wind picked up the matted, messy locks as the golden rays highlighted them into the colors of dawn. The picture was so hauntingly familiar, and speared through his heart with morbid clarity. His hands itched and he had the strongest urge to smile back.  
  
He bit down on his bottom lip in a haste and averted his gaze. His thoughts were being assaulted by an onslaught of niggling qualms. He couldn't reach any conclusions about what could be accomplished by this interrogation, since it seemed to be going nowhere.  
  
It was more of a matter of pride, he admitted silently. He had given the order to release Sparrow and Turner, all because of this... pirate. Compensation for his wounded ego and vanity was no longer the problem. A failure was a failure, and he had failed most spectacularly. With his jaws clenched tightly, he took a hold of the boy's collar and pulled the other closer until he felt the hardness of the iron shackles against his chest.  
  
"Do not toy with me, *pirate*. I will have you hanged for all your crimes."  
  
"Promises."  
  
"Indeed, and as soon as we returned to shore, I will fulfill it."  
  
The threats fell on deaf ears and that irritatingly bored expression stayed on. The boy's continuous and stoic detachment was the last straw. He felt all the anger and frustration drained out of him, and most of his energy fled with them. He was just so tired.  
  
"Does your situation amuse you, pirate?" His tone was slightly shunning.  
  
"...no. I don't like to be locked up."  
  
He paused at the honesty in that statement, then asked bluntly. "Why did you stay then?"  
  
"I wanted to ask you something."  
  
"Then ask."  
  
"Why are you still alive?"  
  
Of all the possibilities, he did not expect that one. Then he remembered the wounds. The boy was watching his every moves, with a calculated and earnest glitter.  
  
"....was I not suppose to?" He ventured cautiously.  
  
"No."  
  
"I see. Why?"  
  
"That's what I am asking you. The cuts stopped bleeding, didn't they?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How is that possible?" The self-directed question was uttered quietly, almost inaudible. The boy looked troubled, shoulders slacked and chin tucked low.  
  
"....I don't know."  
  
Was he feeling sorry for the pirate? Unthinkable! He needed sleep, a large bottle of whisky and a dip in the cold sea, not necessary in that order.  
  
"....I guess that I'll just have to stay around then. I am going to get to the bottom of this."  
  
Something unidentifiable stirred within him. He studied the other, who in turn studied him back.  
  
"You said it as if you actually have a choice in the matter."  
  
A mischievous grin lighted up the boy's entire profile and the dull grayness inside those catlike eyes seemed to be sparkled with life. He couldn't take his eyes away.  
  
"I do have a choice. There will always be a choice, commodore."  
  
The air shifted and he could almost hear that song again, entrancing and presaging simultaneously, as the wind gently nursed each note with its own lullaby.  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
He pecked Will gently on the cheek. The boy sighed and nuzzle his face into the crook between Jack's neck and shoulder. He felt the tremor wrecked through the slender form in his arms, melancholy over the separation and guilty driven.  
  
Guilt would carve its marks on Will's face and heart, but he would be there to smooth away the lines and ease the crease of conscious. It was, after all, a question of perception. Whether it be belief or doubt, all were manifested dependent on emotional and moral viewpoints at the time which are inherent to a person.  
  
He insured silently that they would overcome the post traumas together. Love was what bounded them and what would heal them both; it was much deeper than friendship and stronger than any conventional marriage vow.  
  
One could even say that it was predestined. Even if it was the case, Jack wouldn't mind being stringed along by the designs of some higher power. No, not one bit. In fact, he might just enshrine whatever entity was responsible for his good fortune. If he ever figure out which one; there were so many to choose from after all.  
  
He would never voluntarily give up the boy. 'Take all you can and give nothing back' was the motto of a pirate. He had just scored the greatest piracy in his life and came away with his most prized treasure, Will's heart.  
  
Even though he couldn't promised forever; he had not yet reach that level of egotism or self-delusion. Life was whatever one makes of it, whether it be nothing or a daring adventure. And so was love, Jack believed that. But nothing lasted forever. All he could do was hold on to what they have, savor every seconds, here and now.  
  
Will's breathing hitched and he muttered comforting words against the pale cheek. His lips delved lower until they arrived at the corner of Will's mouth. One brush, barely there. Another, harder this time, lingered momentary and dragged slowly across the warm texture. Will's tongue darted out shyly to welcome him. He accepted the unspoken invitation, worried gently at that liquid fire with his teeth, pulled it inside his own mouth and sucked hard.  
  
Will's heartache would pass, he would make sure of that. He would nurture that fragile heart in the palms of his hands, or he could always just kiss Will senseless to make him forget everything else. Yes, an excellent idea, definitely something to look forward to.  
  
He smirked and proceed to do just that.  
  
~finis~  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I can probably guess what you are thinking right now. "This is the end?!!!" Before you decide to throw any heavy objects at me, listen to my explanation.  
  
I figured that since Jack and Will's relationship was the main focus of the story, and since they are now happily kissing into the sun rise, this would be a good place to end it. As for what happens to Elizabeth, Norrington, Zeke, Tisha, etc, worry not, I am planning a sequel, with a lot and a lot of J/W smut as well. It would take a while though.  
  
Well anyway, I wanted to thank all of my readers out there, regardless of whether you have reviewed or not. I thank you all, couldn't have done this without your support and encouragement.  
  
Thank you. ^_^ 


End file.
